Mages and Lovers
by 7wanderers
Summary: Events of the FemWarden and Champion with their lovers. Surana/Cullen/Alistair/Anders  Hawke/Anders    Rated Mature for sexiness. All characters belong to Bioware. I do not owe any of the fandom nor do I seek compensation for this work fiction.
1. Exodus

Temene Surana pressed her face against the thin slit that served as a window. It wasn't wide enough to stick her head out, much less for the body of a thin mage to escape the Circle Tower from. The cold night air was a relief to her troubled mind. "How did I let myself get into this mess?" Temene wondered to herself as she closed her eyes and let the air sweep over her. Soon she would have as much fresh air as she could stand. She pressed her crossed arms against the cold stone and replayed the events of the past few days.

Tomorrow she'd be leaving with Duncan to become a Grey Warden. She'd always dreamed of freedom, of a life outside the dark halls of the tower, but they had only been dreams. She'd successfully passed her Harrowing, but hadn't been given the time to enjoy her new life out of apprenticeship. Her friend Jowan had confided that he was going to attempt to escape the tower with his Chantry initiate lover, Lily.

Temene could not dissuade either of them and when confronted by suspicions from the First Enchanter, she was forced to lead the escape attempt so both Jowan and Lily could be held accountable for their misdeeds. Temene hoped to keep blood from being spilled but it was not to be. When confronted by Irving and Knight-Commander Greagoir, Jowan revealed his secret education in blood magic and lashed out at the group, killing a Templar on his way out of the tower.

"I did as Irving told me and still Greagoir blamed me for all the trouble!" Temene thought to herself as she pressed her face harder against the window. She was glad to be leaving the Circle, but frighted at the unknown that was to come. She'd only met the Grey Warden once and he seemed like an imposing and brooding figure. She'd never even fought in battle and had no idea how to fight darkspawn.

She heard the familiar clank of templar boots approaching and expected to be reprimanded for being up in the high halls so late. She turned from the window and saw the templar Cullen approaching her slowly. "Hello Cullen," Temene said.

"One of the other templars saw a mage come up here, he thought someone should come and investigate," Cullen replied quietly.

"An escape attempt perhaps," Temene smiled slightly.

"It is not needed in this case," Cullen tried to laugh. "So you are really leaving tomorrow?" he added.

"I do not have much of a choice it seems. If I'd known Jowan was a blood mage, I'd have struck him down myself," Temene replied.

"I trust that you would have. You are a remarkable mage, I do not doubt that," Cullen nodded, casting his eyes down from her suddenly.

"Um, I have your book. I should return it to you before I leave," Temene said after an awkward silence. She reached into her pouch at her waist. She removed the small book and placed it gently in his hand.

"You should keep it," he looked down at her small elven frame shyly. "I have no more use for it."

He handed the book back to her, accidentally brushing her hand when he did. "I did not think Templars read romance books," Temene blushed. "It is a lovely story."

"Oh, well, I really liked the part with the knight," Cullen replied nervously. "He was very, disciplined."

"Yes, there was that too," Temene said, trying to hide a frown. She liked Cullen but being a templar, he was cold and unemotional. She'd heard rumors that he held affection for her as well, but he hid behind a mask of indifference, as all the templars did. She could see that his eyes begged for love and affection, though tortured by great restraint. She wanted to kiss him but knew he would object.

"I will bid you farewell, then Ser Knight," Temene nodded. "You may report back that there was no trouble."

"Take care Temene and," he paused for a moment. "May the Maker bless you."

"To you as well, thank you," she replied and excused herself. It took all her effort not to embrace him tightly.

She had nearly returned to her room when she realized she'd forgotten her staff. When she returned to the hall she saw Cullen knelt in prayer so she did not enter. "Bless you Maker for answering my prayers. I am free from temptation and can serve you without weakness in my heart," he prayed softly. "She has been consuming my thoughts for so long, I could no longer bear it. I confess that I set my lips on hers when I carried her to her room after her Harrowing. I am ashamed and can only beg for forgiveness. It was not her intent to lead me astray. Please bless her on her journey and keep her safe," he continued.

Temene realized he was speaking of her and ran from the doorway in embarrassment. She felt ashamed for causing him such turmoil, even if by no fault of her own. He'd been in attendance at her Harrowing and must have been the one to return her to her bed. "And he'd kissed me," her heart ached. She returned to her room and sat on the edge of her bed, all of her worldly possession tied in a small pack at her feet.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, as she felt herself losing everything she held dear. She'd become so comfortable in her life in the tower. The only thing she knew of the outside world was from the tomes in the library. She curled up into a ball as panic began to rack her stomach. She prayed to wake with her life as it was before, falling into a fitful sleep..


	2. Agoraphobic Mage

Temene woke to the sound of Duncan knocking softly on the door. She'd fallen asleep on top of her bed covers, still in her mage's robes. "I am sorry to wake you, but we should set off soon," Duncan replied. "It will be a long ride to Ostagar."

"Yes, of course," Temene sat up, rubbing her eyes. She stood and smoothed her robe and grabbed the small bundle of possessions that lie on the floor.

"Would you like to eat something before we leave?" Duncan asked as they headed downstairs.

"No, I do not think I could," Temene replied.

She followed Duncan downstairs to the ground floor of the tower where the Templars stood guard. There was no one to see her off, besides the Templars who hid behind their helmets. They pulled open the heavy doors with much effort, exposing the dull morning light. The air was refreshing to Temene until she walked beyond the portcullis of the tower.

She looked out and could see no walls, only an endless expanse of water and countryside. Her stomach seized and she became wracked with panic. Duncan helped her into the boat that would take them across Lake Calenhad as she began to feel dizzy. Her eyes darted nervously around, searching for something to anchor her fear to. She glanced down into the clear water, hoping to find a bottom to still her eyes on but she could see only endless darkness. Her head spun and she gripped the side of the boat as she fell forward and blacked out.

When she awoke, she found Duncan and another man kneeling over her. They had reached the shore and taken her off the boat. Her head was cushioned on a rolled up coat. "Are you alright?" Duncan asked as Temene opened her eyes.

"We thought we'd lost you, you nearly fell into the water," the boatman said from behind them.

"Do you want to take her inside the inn?" the other man asked. He was the proprietor of the inn on the shore. As Temene looked up at the open and endless sky, she felt woozy again and lost consciousness.

She woke up with hot liquid being poured down her throat. She tried to swallow it all but a small bit slipped into her airway and she sat up coughing. The inn owner sat next to the bed beside Duncan who held a steamy bowl of broth. "You must drink this, regain your strength," Duncan said, holding the bowl towards her.

"What happened?" Temene asked, talking the bowl from him slowly.

"I am sure this is just overwhelming for you. Rest as much as you need. I have arranged for horses to take us as far as Lothering. Then we will have to walk the rest of the way to Ostagar," Duncan replied.

"I am sorry. I am used to being buried in walls of stone. I never imagined the world could be so endless," Temene replied, holding her head. She was glad to be indoors again where there was an end to things.

"You need not worry. It is common for dwarves to have the same reaction. You will adjust soon enough," Duncan smiled warmly.

Despite his gruff looking exterior, Temene saw kindness in his eyes and was glad to have him there. She swallowed more of the broth though her stomach was still wracked with anxiety. She stood up on weak legs and looked out the small leaded window. She could see Kinloch Hold gleaming in the early morning sun.

"What will we be doing in Ostagar?" Temene asked. "I was told very little about the Wardens."

"We are meeting the King's army and the rest of the Grey Wardens. The darkspawn horde is approaching from the South and will be at the fortress in less than a week," Duncan answered.

"I know nothing of the darkspawn or war. I still do not understand why you chose me, um in all due respect," Temene stumbled over her words.

"Irving told me of your abilities and your dedication. It is that which is most needed in the Grey Wardens. You need only protect your allies and keep dedication in your heart," Duncan replied.

"We should set off then, if the horde is so near. I will try to keep my head down," Temene tried to smile through her nervousness.

"I managed to find you a warm coat. It may not fit well but it will keep out the cold as we pass through the mountains."

"Thank you," Temene said, taking the coat from him. It was made of thick wool, with fur on the deep hood. It was child's size, so it fit her small frame well, dragging several inches on the floor however.

Temene pulled the hood over her head and walked outside with her eyes cast down. She tried to think of the security of stones walls and floors, but still felt a dull pang of anxiety. Two horses stood ready to take Duncan and herself to Lothering. "I have never ridden before," Temene said, peeking up at the imposing animal.

"You need only hold on and the horse will guide the way," Duncan replied, giving her a hand up onto the horse.

Temene felt awkward atop the large beast, but Duncan did not drive the horses hard as they left the shores of Calenhad. They rode through hills for most of the day until they reached the low plains that would lead them to Lothering. They rode faster until dusk, stopping to rest near a small grove of trees. The darkness was more of a comfort for Temene, as she could see little else besides what was in front of her. Duncan set up two small tents and lit a fire. Temene still did not have an appetite but nibbled on a bit dried meat and fruit as they rested for the day.


	3. Strange Templars

After leaving the horses in Lothering, Duncan and Temene set off on foot to Ostagar. It was a day and a half walk if they did not stop often to rest. Temene slept well in the wilderness, if only from exhaustion. The noises from the outside world were strange and frightening. She would peek from her hood at times and look out at the borderless world. It still caused her stomach to churn but each day seemed more reassuring.

They reached Ostagar as the sun was beginning to leave the sky. The crumbling towers were a wonder to Temene, who asked as many questions about the land as she could. Duncan obliged her curiosity with laughter. They entered the gates and were soon greeted by the king himself. Temene felt ashamed in his presence, the hem of her coat caked with mud from dragging on the ground. He was handsome, but she dared not stare at him for too long.

When the king excused himself, Duncan told her to have a look around camp and find one of the other Wardens. As Temene wandered tentatively around camp, she found Duncan's description of little help, as she passed several men with golden brown hair and armor. She finally spied a tall man with wheat-colored hair, a Grey Warden shield strapped to his back. The mage he was speaking to bore an expression of disdain. Temene waited for the mage to storm off before approaching the warrior "Excuse me, are you Alistair?" Temene asked, as he grinned at the angered mage.

"Yes," Alistair turned to her, his expression changing when he looked upon her.

"I was told to seek you out," Temene replied.

"Oh," Alistair smiled. "I can't imagine why. Wait, you're not the girl Daveth was trying to set me up with. I told him I wasn't interested in your services, though you are very beautiful."

"What?" Temene wondered, her expression bearing confusion. "You do not think I am some sort of, prostitute do you?"

"No, of course not," Alistair replied nervously. "You must be uh," he paused.

"I am Temene, the Grey Warden recruit."

"Yes, of course. The uh, mage. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you without robes or lightning coming out of your fingers," Alistair tried to laugh. "Duncan sent a letter. I wished he'd have mention that you were a woman."

"Does that matter?" Temene questioned.

"No, not at all, I, uh, it might have stopped me from putting my whole foot in my mouth. I think I even got some of the leg in there," he joked.

"You are very strange," Temene replied, taken slightly aback.

"Not the first time I have heard that, believe me. Oh, thank the Maker, Ser Jory," Alistair waved another man over. "Ser Jory, this is our last recruit, Temene."

"It is a pleasure to meet you my lady," Jory bowed his head slightly.

"Well met as well," Temene nodded.

"Well, let's find Duncan," Alistair said, leading them towards a large tent and out of their awkward conversation.

Another man sat at the fire and was introduced as Daveth. They waited for Duncan to return as Daveth tried his best to flirt with Temene. She remained quiet, as was her nature, and Daveth soon returned to joking with Ser Jory. When Duncan returned, he relayed their plans for the next morning. Temene was not looking forward to venturing into the open wilds with this band of louts, but she had no other choice. She slept inside the Warden tent beside Duncan. Both Daveth and Jory snored loudly, so she slept restlessly.  
> <p>


	4. Into the Wilds

Temene and the three men set off into the wilds the next morning. Temene's feet still ached from the long walk from Lothering, but a quick numbing poultice made for a temporary fix. They would have to willingly engage darkspawn in order to collect blood from them. Temene feared that the Wardens worked with some sort of blood magic, but knew the Chantry would never allow such a thing to occur.

"Has anyone else fought darkspawn before?" Ser Jory asked nervously as they made their way through the low brushlands.

"No, mostly just other cutpurses, rouges, and thieves," Daveth replied, looking over at Temene.

"Giant spiders, a few walking corpses, mostly things of the unnatural," Temene replied.

"Don't worry. They die like anything else. Just keep your wits about you," Alistair replied.

They moved across the rolling landscape, encountering only a few animals that ran at the sight of the party. A fetid odor began to swirl through the air as they continued on. "What is that smell?" Jory said, holding his nose.

Temene covered her mouth, her stomach turning immediately. "It smells like death," Daveth said, poking his sword into a nearby bush. "And there's some blood here."

"Help me," a low voice croaked from the underbrush.

"There is someone here!" Temene yelled, stooping down to look in the bush. A bloodied man lie hidden in the brush, a deep wound gaping in his side.

"What happened man, where did you come from?" Alistair asked, pushing away the brush.

"My scouting party was attacked by the darkspawn. I managed to crawl into here as they were hanging the bodies. It was horrible. The horde is closer than expected," the man replied lowly.

"We must alert the king somehow," Alistair added, looking grimly at the wound.

"Here," Temene knelt, and laid her hands close to the wound. Healing spells were some of the first she learned and she was well versed. The wound slowly collapsed, the skin closing, though still vulnerable to injury. "That will staunch the bleeding but you will need much rest. I think I have a draught in my pack," Temene said, reaching into her small pouch.

"Maker bless you," the man smiled slightly, sitting up on his own, though still in pain.

"Can you make it back to the camp?" Alistair asked.

"If the way is clear, I will make it," the man replied.

"I do not sense any darkspawn near, you may be safe."

"It is better than any chance I had before you came along," the man said, as Alistair helped him to his feet.

They sent the man off and continued through the wilds, hoping to spy the forgotten tower where they sought the Grey Warden treaties. As they came down a ridge, Alistair held them back. "There are darkspawn here, I can feel it. Be on your guard," he said.

Temene gripped her staff nervously. The walking corpses she'd seen in the Circle where horrific enough, she expected the darkspawn to look no less horrible. The small band of darkspawn was easily dispatched with the help of a well placed fireball. "Too much?" Temene asked shyly as Alistair collected blood from the corpses.

"Uh, no, I think that was just what they needed," Alistair replied, placing the vials in his pack.

They searched into the late afternoon until the ruined tower came into view. The tower was abandoned all save a Chasind woman who informed them that the treaties had been removed by her mother. The men looked on her suspiciously, but Temene knew not the stories of the witch of the wilds.

The woman, Morrigan, seemed quite interested in Temene as they followed hesitantly towards her mother's hut. "You are a mage?" Morrigan asked, eyeing the branch strapped to Temene's back.

"And you as well," Temene nodded.

"A mage and an apostate are not the same thing," Alistair glared at Morrigan.

Morrigan glared back but returned her attention to Temene. "And how did you find yourself freed from the tower?" Morrigan asked.

"I was recruited by the Grey Wardens," Temene answered.

"How do you like your freedom then, and the outside world?"

"It smells," Temene replied shortly. Morrigan laughed loudly and patted Temene gently on the back.

"A more honest statement has never been said," Morrigan giggled. "And here we are," she added as a small, hidden hut appeared.

The sun was low in the sky as they came upon the hut, a wizen old woman waiting for them outside. "Our visitors have finally arrived," the old woman called.

"You don't expect us to believe you knew we were coming?" Daveth mocked with slight fear in his voice.

"And if I did, would it make you any less terrified of me," the woman cackled. "But see here, an elven mage. You have no fear in your heart, do you?"

"I fear many things, though I do not fear magic," Temene replied quietly.

"Ah, but you should fear magic. Your templar friend can tell you all about it," the woman spoke towards Alistair.

"You were a templar?" Temene turned to him.

"I had some of the training, but I was never initiated," Alistair replied.

"Yet the prejudice is there," the woman turned away from them. "Here are your treaties, just as I found them. The magic wore off long ago, but I have protected them."

"Thank you," Alistair replied suspiciously, taking the treaties from her.

"I offer my hospitality for the night. It is far too dangerous to venture into the wilds at night," the woman replied, lighting the outside fire with the flick of her wrist.

The men jumped back in fear but Temene remained calm. She had no fear of apostates, despite what she had been told in the Circle. She wondered for a moment if Jowan had found his way somewhere safe. With his phylactery destroyed, there was no way for the templars to track him. She almost hoped he'd been caught, if only to keep a blood mage from harming the world.

Alistair wanted to leave but the other men had already begun warming their hands at the fire. "I will not let anything happen to you," Temene said to Alistair quietly. "I have placed a ward of protection around the campsite. Not even a witch's magic can penetrate it."

Alistair smiled at her and hesitantly sat down on the ground next to the fire. His smile stirred her, though his templar training gave her pause. They sat in silence for a while, as Morrigan brought out food that all but Temene refused. "You seem too jovial to be a templar?" Temene finally dared to asked. "All those I knew in the Tower were quite serious and cold."

"I suppose that's why I joined the Grey Wardens," Alistair answered. The Revered Mother had had about as much of me as she could stand."

"Yes, I suppose joking before cutting down a maleficar would be frowned upon," Temene tried to smile.

"At least the abominations would get a kick out of it," Alistair laughed.

"Temene, do those healing spells work on other things, like rashes," Daveth interrupted.

She gave him a disgusted looked and suggested he try a poultice instead. Alistair stretched out, resting his head on his pack. "You spent your whole life in the tower?" he asked, looking over at her.

"As much as I remember. They must have taken me from the alienage at an early age. I remember nothing but the tower," she replied.

"It must have been hard to leave," he added sincerely.

"There were only a few dear things I left behind," she said, laying her head down. She thought for a moment about Cullen and the turmoil she'd caused him. She now lie beside another handsome templar, but with no indifference and little coldness in his personality. She fell asleep quickly, after another exhausting day on her feet. She'd been so coddled in the tower that if felt good to be so worn out.


	5. Blood Ritual

They left the Wilds at dawn, the men eager to get away from the witch's camp. All of them had refused food and their stomachs grumbled. Temene walked ahead of them, full of strength from the food she had eaten. They hurried back to Ostagar, finding the war camp preparing for the nearing horde. Duncan was glad to see them, waiting for their return near the gates. "I expected you back late yesterday," Duncan said, as Alistair handed him the vials of darkspawn blood.

"We had to go farther than expected for the treaties. Two apostates had taken them from the tower," Alistair replied.

"And yet they protected them well," Duncan said, looking over the treaties. "And how did our recruits fair? The injured scout was thankful for Temene's magic."

"They will all be welcome editions to the order," Alistair replied, glancing over at Temene.

"Good, then we should begin the ritual right away," Duncan said. "I will prepare. Bring them to the old temple after you have eaten."

"Ritual, what ritual? Was not our journey into the Wilds our test?" Jory asked.

"It is The Joining. It is part of the price we have to pay to be Wardens," Alistair replied.

"What does that mean? What price do we have to pay? Have we not made enough sacrifices?" Jory asked again.

"Will you go wet your trousers somewhere else," Daveth chastised him.

"It is something all Wardens must go through," Alistair replied. "We should eat."

He glanced over at Temene again and sat down around the fire. He dished out a bowl of stew from the pot and handed it to her. He seemed slightly troubled but Temene did not want to pry, so she concentrated on her stew. It was hearty and filling, much different than the food served in the Circle Tower. Temene was beginning to like the outside world more and more, though she much preferred to sleep with a roof over her head.

After they ate, Alistair led them to the ruined temple on the edge of the fortress. Duncan was waiting beside a large chalice, standing in complete stillness. None of the recruits seemed to be keen on the idea of drinking darkspawn blood but it was an essential part of the Joining. The Wardens must become immune to the taint in order to defeat the archdemon. The thought of it made Temene's stomach churn but she stood waiting for Daveth to take the first sip.

As he fell dead from the blood, Alistair swallowed hard and motioned for Ser Jory to take this place. Jory stood with fear in his eyes, refusing to continue with the ritual. When he went for his blade Duncan cut him down in an instant. Temene stood frozen in utter shock at the two dead men at her feet, a dark pool of blood collecting nearby. Her throat began to tighten again and she looked to Alistair for comfort.

He stared into her eyes, with an assuring nod. She took the chalice, still holding his gaze. The smell of the blood put her on the verge of nausea. She held back the complete disgust that overwhelmed her and swallowed the blood with much difficulty. It burned in her throat and she went immediately blind. It felt like her entire body was tearing itself apart from the inside. She could feel her body falling but could do nothing to stop herself. She was sure that she was dying.

She saw the rearing head of a horrible dragon but her entire body was numb. It screamed in an almost comprehensible tone. The image would not leave her mind, as much as she tried to rid herself of it. Soon, a horde of darkspawn surrounded the dragon, who was spilling filth into the air. Eventually, the air was so choked that her vision fell into complete darkness and she slept in total darkness. 


	6. A Promise of Dancing

Temene woke up an hour later, her head cradled in Alistair's lap. Alistair looked down on her with a happy smile. "Thank the Maker you survived, I, welcome the Grey Wardens," he said happily.

She sat up feeling strangely invigorated, her entire body free from any aches or pains. Her hearing and eye sight felt sharper. There was only an empty bloodstain where Daveth and Jory had fallen. "Is it always this bad? The Joining?" Temene asked, getting slowly to her feet.

"Not always, but the blood has taken many lives. This is how we can sense the darkspawn. We take the taint unto ourselves," Alistair replied, standing up beside her. "You are alright?" he added, brushing a leaf from her robe.

"I think so," she smiled.

"Duncan wanted to speak to you when you awoke. I will make us something to eat, you will be getting hungry soon."

She followed Alistair back towards the Grey Warden tent and he pointed her in the direction of the king's tent. She walked over tentatively, as the king and his generals conferred with Duncan and circle mage Temene recognized as a senior enchanter. "Temene, please come over," Duncan glanced up and motioned her over.

"Congratulations on joining the order," Cailan said, with a smile. The tall man beside him rolled his eyes and continued relaying the plan of attack. Temene and Alistair would wait at the top of one of the towers to light a signal for a hidden attack by the king's general Loghain. He spoke of the Wardens with slight disdain, happy to relegate such a simple task to the order.

As she returned with Duncan, she asked about the general. "Why does he speak of the Wardens with such ill?" she asked.

"Perhaps he thinks the king is foolhardy. Or he may hold some old grudge against the Wardens, I know not," Duncan answered.

"But you have faith in the king's plan?"

"As long as you and Alistair light the signal, we should have success against a small horde."

"Then we shall not fail," Temene added as they returned to camp.

"What is the plan Duncan?" Alistair asked, hearing Temene's promise.

As Duncan spoke of their role, Alistair seemed unhappy about the plan but did not question Duncan. Instead, he dished out a boiled roast and vegetables for dinner. Duncan ate very little and retired to the Warden tent quickly, leaving Alistair and Temene alone by the fire. "You are a surprisingly good cook," Temene complimented him.

"Thank you," Alistair nodded. "I spent enough nights in the Chantry kitchen as punishment to have learned a few tricks."

"Why did you stop your templar training, if I may ask?"

"I suppose my heart wasn't really in it. When Duncan came to the Chantry six months ago, he saw that I was unhappy. The Grand Cleric wasn't happy about losing a recruit but Duncan wasn't going to take no for an answer."

"Why were you at the Chantry if you disliked it so much?"

"Well, my attempt at professional entertainer of the court went out the window when I found out I couldn't dance."

"I bet you dance just fine," Temene giggled.

"Tell you what, if we survive this battle, I'll do a special dance just for you."

"Is that so?" Temene raised an alluring eyebrow.

"Here, I will give you a preview," he laughed, as he stood to put more wood on the fire. He shook his hips a little in a not so erotic fashion. Temene burst into laughter that echoed through the quieting camp.

She smiled at him with an excited feeling in her stomach. She'd had a few casual relationships with other mages and had her feelings for Cullen, but Alistair made her feel different. Each word he spoke made her smile. "We should rest if we are going to stay awake guarding the signal fire," Temene joked, standing up. "And you can have more time to practice those dance moves. I'll make sure you keep your promise."

"I cannot wait," Alistair said sarcastically as he followed her into the tent.

Duncan slept on the far side of the tent, so Alistair and Temene slept next to each other. Temene felt no weariness as she lie on her bedroll. She lie awake for a while, hearing Alistair fall asleep with softening breaths. She couldn't sleep, so she decided to get up and wander the camp. She raided a nearby camp's food, as she still felt ravished with hunger.

She heard a plaintive whine nearby and followed it. A large dog lie in a secluded pen, whining softly. His large nose stuck between the fence post and began sniffing at Temene neared. She knelt near the pen and looked in on the dog. "What is wrong?" she asked softly, the sharp whines pulling at all her sympathies.

"What are you doing over.. oh sorry miss I thought you were some lout trying to steal the dogs," A man came around the corner with a lantern.

"What is wrong with this animal?" Temene asked. "He sounds as if he is suffering."

"He's a Mabari, a war dog. He got infected by the taint," the kennel master answered.

"Is there nothing that can be done?"

"You are a mage right?" he asked, looking down at her robes. "Then you must be familiar with herbs. There is a flower that might do the trick, but it is very rare."

"I have many herbs in my pouch," she replied, standing up.

"I'd know it by the smell."

Temene took out the small bag of herbs she carried with her and removed the small sachets. As the kennel master smelled each packed, he returned the ones that weren't right. "Yeah, this is it right here. I'd know that smell anywhere."

The kennel master mixed the herbs with some meat and fed them to the dog. He was unsure if the hound could be saved, but the herbs would at least still his pain. Temene remained by the dog for some time, patting his soft head. Another mage had once snuck a cat into the tower and Temene had fed it when he escaped. Mittens, as Temene had named the cat, slept on her bunk for many years before disappearing into the basement.

When her eyes finally grew weary she returned to the Warden tent. Alistair slept peacefully as she pulled the tent flap open. She watched the firelight on his face for a moment. He was handsome for a human, with a strange resemblance to the king himself. Temene lie back down on the the next bedroll and fell asleep a short time later. 


	7. Tempest

The dreams Temene had her first night as a Warden terrified her for months. She was again frozen in fear as the horde of darkspawn grew larger. They clamored for the archdemon's shrieks of terror. Great peals of thunder echoed over the dragon's cries. She woke up suddenly, realizing that the thunder was coming from outside. The tent flap was smacking wildly around as a violent wind whipped through camp. She got up and tried to refasten the flap. "Temene?" Alistair called from outside.

"What is going on?" Temene asked, as she emerged into the tempest, trying to pull on a coat. Alistair stood stooped over the dying fire with a pot in one hand and the other trying to cover the dying flames.

"The darkspawn have brought a storm with them," Alistair called over the howling wind. "I was just about to wake you," he added, heading back towards the tent. His face was wet with rain.  
>"I tried to save breakfast for you," he set the pot down on the ground. "It may have gotten a little wet."<p>

"I am sure it is fine," Temene replied, grabbing a small cloth for her pack. "Here," she brought the cloth near his face.

"Thank you," he replied, taking the cloth from her. "We should head to the Tower of Ishal after you have eaten. Duncan and the other Wardens are already heading to the battlefield."

Temene took a few quick bites and picked up her staff. "I am ready. Let's go," she stood up.

They headed out of the tent and strode towards the Tower of Ishal. The wind was still blowing violently, pelting them with rain as they crossed the bridge towards the tower. The darkspawn horde could be seen below, already beginning their assault on the fortress. "We have to hurry," Alistair yelled as he ran ahead of Temene. She ran to catch up with him.

They found the tower already overrun with darkspawn, only a few survivors still able to fight the bands that prowled the halls. They fought their way through the mess, trying to get to the top of the tower as quickly as possible. "What are these darkspawn doing here in the tower?" Alistair wondered as they tried to break down a barricaded door.

"They would have been separate from the main horde or else they would've been seen on the road coming into the fortress," Temene replied, forcing the door open with a telekinetic blast.

They eventually reached the lookout of the tower and found the signal fire guarded by a giant ogre. Temene tried to immobilize the ogre as Alistair hacked and slashed until it fell dead. The wood for the signal fire was wet but Temene managed to light it with a blast of fire. She sat down next to Alistair, who was catching his breath.

"Are you alright?" Temene asked, looking at a wound on his arm.

"I will be fine," Alistair replied, staunching the wound with his hand.

"Let me see it," Temene took his arm, placing her hands around it.

Before she could heal him, she felt an arrow pierce her back. She cried out and fell forward into Alistair's arms. A large group of darkspawn had followed them upstairs. Alistair tried his best to protect them with his shield but the darkspawn were too overwhelming. He fell after a barrage of arrows, still holding onto to Temene tightly. He saw a large eruption of flames before blacking out.


	8. Insult to Injuries

When Alistair awoke, he felt a dull pain throughout his body. He opened his eyes and saw Temene asleep in the bed beside him. She was deathly pale and covered in bandages. "Temene," he whispered, crawling out bed painfully. He gently stroked her face, hoping she would wake up. She felt feverish, so he walked slowly across the room and placed a rag in a nearby basin of water. He returned and dabbed her forehead carefully.

The door creaked open and the witch Morrigan appeared in the doorway. "You?" Alistair knelt closely to Temene's body.

"Worry not, she should wake up in a few days," Morrigan said.

"What happened? How did we get here?" Alistair asked suspiciously.

"You will have to ask Mother exactly how you got here, but your king's support from the Teryn abandoned the field. I am afraid few survived. The king fell as well as all of your Grey Warden friends."

"What? That is impossible? Why would the Teryn do such a thing?"

"I know not and you should be resting, lest Mother return and drive you back into bed," Morrigan said with a smirk. "I will attend to your friend."

Alistair left the rag on Temene's forehead and hobbled back to bed. He didn't sleep much, suspicious of Morrigan and her mother. He kept his eye on Temene, getting up to check on her whenever Morrigan left the small hut. As the days passed he began to recover but Temene still did not wake. He began to venture away from the hut during the day hoping to hear any more news about what happened at Ostagar.

Temene finally awoke a few days later, emerging from the hut as Alistair sat by the fire. "Thank the Maker you are alright!" he said happily, rising to greet her. "I feared you might never recover."

"Is what Morrigan told me true? The general abandoned the field and left the Wardens to be slaughtered?" Temene asked weakly.

"Yes, and the news gets worse," Alistair replied, coming to Temene's side to help her sit on a nearby stump. "Loghain has blamed the Wardens for betraying the king. We are the only Wardens left and we are fugitives."

Temene held her aching head in her hands and sighed. "And what about the Blight? Surely the two of us cannot stop it," she shook her head.

"Our only hope would be to gather allies, unless the Wardens from Orlais finally arrive. But I doubt Loghain would allow such a thing," Alistair replied.

"The treaties we gather could aid us, but will those armies be enough?" Temene wondered.

"We could also speak with Arl Eamon. His army was not at Ostagar and he is the king's uncle. He would not stand for the treason Loghain has committed."

"Then we should set off straight away," Temene said, clutching her side. "We must stop the darkspawn before they can regroup."

"Perhaps you should lie down for a while longer and we can leave tomorrow," Alistair asked, touching her shoulder in a concerned manner.

"You are leaving then?" Flemeth asked, coming out from behind the hut with a stack of wood under her arm. She had obviously been listening to their conversation. "Your plan seems reasonable enough."

"I am in your debt for my life," Temene stood up with the help of Alistair. "I believe only the famed Flemeth could have saved me from death."

Flemeth cackled and set the wood down. "My magic is not so great," Flemeth continued to laugh. "And I have already devised a method of repayment. When you leave the Wilds, Morrigan will accompany you. She will be a great aid to you in the coming months."

"Her? Come with us? But she is an apostate!" Alistair protested.

"And you are wanted fugitives with a bounty on your heads," Flemeth smiled. "Alike company travels well."

"Do I have no say?" Morrigan asked, coming out of the hut.

"You have always wanted to leave the Wilds, this is your chance," Flemeth replied.

"For the sound of it, we would be wise to welcome as many allies as when can Alistair," Temene looked over at him.

"I suppose you are right. We will leave in the morning then. And I am putting you back in bed," he responded, taking Temene by the arm.

He walked her back into the hut and helped her into bed. "Are you sure we can trust her?" he whispered quietly.

"I do not know, but we owe them for our lives. We will be cautious," Temene smiled slightly.

"Cautious is good," Alistair grinned and looked down at her. "I am really glad you are alright. I don't think I would've made it without you. I mean, being the only Grey Warden and all," he added as he cheeks blushed.

"Thank you for the sentiment," she teased.

"That's what I'm here for," he laughed. He looked at her for a moment and added "I will let you rest."

Alistair left the hut and began packing up their things. Temene slept for a while then rose to eat. They planned to leave for the village of Lothering in the morning and made sure everything was packed for their departure at first light. 


	9. A Night at the Inn

They left for Lothering at first light, slowed slightly by the healing wound at Temene's side. As they made their way through the Wilds, a large dog approached them. "It looks like a mabari, come here boy, come here," Alistair called.

"He has been circling the hut for days but never came close enough to catch. I would be wary of it," Morrigan replied.

The dog approached slowly, sniffing the air. He sat down a few feet from them and stared at Temene. "I think he was looking for you," Alistair replied. "I've heard they imprint on people."

"He must be dog I helped at Ostagar. He'd been infected by the taint," Temene said, approaching the dog slowly.

"Well, what are you going to name your new friend? He looks pw-ecious," Alistair laughed.

Temene looked down at the dog who stared at her attentively. His sad brown eyes reminded her of Cullen. She was instantly in love. "I think I will name him Cullen," Temene smiled.

"Cullen? What an odd name for a dog. Why not something like Growly or Barkspawn?" Alistair remarked.

"Cullen?" Temene spoke to the dog. He barked happily and wagged his tail.

"Growly, here Growly," Alistair mocked.

The dog turned his head strangely at Alistair and returned his attention to Temene. "Cullen it is," Temene smiled, patting him on the head. "Come on then," she patted her hip for him to follow them. He followed closely behind, walking at Temene's heels as they approached Lothering.

They entered the village as the sun began to set, taking care of an idiotic band of highwaymen on the way. The small village was overrun with refugees fleeing from the darkspawn horde. Small camps had been set up in nearly empty spot of grass. They headed towards the inn to rest and eat. "Oh, look a tavern, how quaint!" Morrigan said sarcastically. "Do templars drink or do they restrict their addictions to lyrium?"

"Ha ha," Alistair mocked.

"Um Miss, you can't bring the dog in here. Especially not a warhound," the owner called as they walked through the door.

"Sorry Cullen," Temene said. "Stay out here and keep watch." Cullen sat down near the doorway, watching attentively for Temene to return.

The tavern was crowded, with a good many refugees drinking away their troubles. Morrigan's cold stare managed to scare them up a small, dirty table. Morrigan ordered the tavern's strongest ale, while both Temene and Alistair ordered water. "So where do we go next from here?" Alistair asked as their drinks were served. "We have treaties for the dwarves, elves, and mages. We might seek out the Circle first since you are from there."

"That sounds reasonable," Temene nodded.

"Complacent mages and angry templars, how wonderful," Morrigan rolled her eyes.

As they sat enjoying their drinks, a man approached the table with a scrap of paper in his hand. He looked over the group and then looked back down at the scrap. "Yeah, that's them Harow," the man called back to another table.

"These look like the Teryn's men, " Alistair said, touching the hilt of his sword.

"What luck," the obvious leader exclaimed. "We were sent to keep watch for these Grey Wardens and they fell right into our laps."

Alistair stood up abruptly, gripping his sword. "Oy, this one has a spine after all to protect his womenfolk," one of the other men added. "Wasn't good enough for the king was ya?" he mocked.

"We can protect ourselves just fine," Temene stood up, sparking a ball of electricity in her hand. "If you are the Loghain's men, I suggest you return to him and tell him we will avenge our Grey Warden comrades."

"I think the lady has a good point," a red haired woman interjected from another table. She wore the robes of a Chantry initiate.

"Shut it sister or we'll send you back to the Chantry in pieces," one of the men threatened.

"I've got enough trouble in this tavern, you louts take it outside!" the tavern keeper yelled at them from behind the bar. He was brandishing a broom in a threatening manner.

"We'll settle this outside, cowards!" the leader challenged them, walking towards the door.

They followed the men outside, where they quickly attempted to ambush the Wardens and Morrigan to no avail. Cullen latched onto the leader's sword arm and nearly ripped it off as he shook the man violently. The rest fled in terror as Morrigan unleashed a sward of stinging insects on them.

"Well, you solved that as peacefully as you could," the Chantry sister laughed at the doorway. "I am Leliana. If you are looking for a place to stay, I can offer you my room for the evening."  
>"Thank you, but we aren't refugees," Alistair replied.<p>

"Yes, I heard you are Grey Wardens. And with a bounty on your heads as well," Leliana said, handing Temene the scrap of paper the thug was holding. It was a poster for a bounty for her and Alistair.

"That doesn't even look like me," Alistair said, taking the paper from Temene.

"Please, let me offer you my hospitality for the evening," Leliana motioned towards the door.

They followed her inside, sneaking Cullen in between the group and headed upstairs to the inn. Leliana offered them dinner and a room to sleep in for the night. She explained to the them that the Maker had come to her in a dream and that she was destined to help the Grey Wardens. Temene suggested they speak more in the morning, seeing the look of apprehension on Alistair's face.

Alistair and Cullen slept of the floor while the three women shared the large bed. Temene did not sleep well and got up in the middle of the night for some fresh air. She had woken up from a terrible nightmare with her wounded side aching. She hobbled out of the room towards a small balcony accessible to guests of the inn.

It was deserted in the middle of the night, so she sat for a while on one of the small chairs. The air was devoid of noise besides the quiet flow of the nearby stream. She sat with her head in her hands and didn't hear Alistair approaching her quietly. "Is everything alright?" he asked quietly, taking a seat next to her.

"I can't sleep. We have this enormous task ahead of us, while running around with a target on our backs. I don't understand how all this happened," she paused and glanced over at him. "What about you?"

"I don't know exactly what your new dog has been eating but it can't be good things," he replied seriously.

Temene laughed quietly and grabbed his shoulder playfully. "Is everything a joke to you," she smiled.

"I know this is serious business, but there is no use worrying about it. We will do our best, right?."

"I suppose that is all we can do," she added, standing up as a sharp pain clutched her side.

"Careful," he grabbed her waist to steady her. "Are you still in pain?" he asked, still holding her waist.

"It is deep in the muscle. It will take time to heal completely," she replied.  
>"Well, we should go inside and get some rest," he sighed, slipping his hands off her.<p>

"I will send Cullen outside if you wish," she said as they returned to the room.

"I should be okay, I'll just sleep at the opposite side of the room, with a knife under my pillow. That Leliana frightens me a little. Not to mention Morrigan," he laughed. "In fact, I think you are the only woman in the room I don't fear might kill me in my sleep."

She gave him a look and shut the door to their room and got back into bed. Alistair moved his bedding across the room from where Cullen was fast asleep. "Good night Temene," he whispered.

"Good night Alistair," she replied quietly.


	10. Gathering Parties

Temene woke up as Leliana was setting the table for breakfast. Morrigan was still fast asleep and Alistair lie curled up in a ball with Cullen at his side. "Isn't it the sweetest thing you have ever seen?" Leliana asked, looking at Alistair and the dog snuggled together.

"It is pretty cute," Temene smiled, climbing out and bed and walking over towards the pair.

She knelt down and covered Alistair with the blanket that had fallen off his shoulder. "Have you thought anymore about what I said?" Leliana asked, pouring hot water into a bowl of dried porridge.

"Perhaps we should wait until everyone else is awake," Temene suggested, seeing that Alistair was still in a deep sleep.

"I know you must think it strange but I believe it is the Maker's will that I help you."

"Where we are going will be dangerous. I do not think it is a place for a Chantry sister to go."

"I wasn't always a lay sister," Leliana confessed. "I have skills you might find useful."

Leliana took one of the small kitchen knifes and flung it into the stone wall where it stuck above the bed where Morrigan slept. "Are you insane!" Morrigan yelled, startled awake.

"What's going on?" Alistair woke up sleepy-eyed. Cullen raised his head attentively, listening for trouble.

"Apparently our Chantry sister is also a trained assassin," Temene replied, staring at the knife stuck into the seam of the stone wall.

"Well, isn't that lovely," Alistair rubbed his eyes. He shook off his hand in disgust, realizing Cullen had drooled on him. "Is there is place I can wash myself," he added, wiping the rest of the drool back on Cullen. Temene frowned at him for the action.

"There is a wash room down the hall," Leliana replied.

"I think I will join you," Temene replied, realizing she hadn't bathed in a while.

She pulled a new robe out from her pack and headed towards the wash room. Alistair had already begun dampening his bare chest with a wet rag when Temene walked in. She couldn't help but stare at his muscular body as she passed. She slipped behind a screen after taking another quick peek at his body, blushing as she pulled off her dirty robe. "I was right about that Leliana," Alistair said, wiping the warm rag over his arms. "Crazy."

"I think she is nice and we could use all the help we can find," Temene replied, stepping into the small basin and squeezing a rag over her back. The warm water felt good running down her skin.

"So next you are going to tell me you think she should come with us," Alistair added, turning around. His eyes widened at Temene's visible silhouette through the screen. "Maker's breath," he said quietly as he turned away.

"What?" Temene asked, taking down her braids so she could wash her hair.

"Uh, I suppose she can come if she wants to help," he added, flustered for a moment. " I am going to head into the village to gather some supplies that we will need to make camp."

There was nothing more Alistair wanted to do than to get away from Temene at that moment. Each time he looked at her he felt a tiny tickle at the base of his spine. He wanted to hold her closely, but thought it too soon and slightly inappropriate to do so. He wanted to free his thoughts from her for the time being and hurried out, not bothering to dry off completely.

"Alistair, is there an extra towel near you?" Temene asked, her hands full of wet hair. "Alistair?" she called, not realizing he had gone.

She wrung out her hair and quickly searched the wash room for a spare towel. She returned to the room, where Morrigan was finishing breakfast. They discussed matters of magic for a while and then moved onto Alistair and Leliana. Morrigan didn't seem too fond of either of them, but she didn't seem too fond of anyone for that matter. Temene rebraided her hair before it dried and finished eating breakfast.

Leliana and Alistair returned a few hours later. Alistair had a look of annoyance on his face as Leliana followed him inside. "I really think we should try to get him set free," Leliana said. "He is looking for redemption."

"How was the market?" Temene smiled slightly at Alistair's annoyed expression.

"Leliana seems to think we should try to get this Qunari murderer set free to help us with the darkspawn. Now was this also part of your vision?" Alistair mocked.

"No, but he seeks to atone for his sins. I can think of no better way than defending the land from the Blight," Leliana answered.

"Qunari? Here in Ferelden?" Temene wondered. She had only read about Qunari in the Circle library and didn't know they'd ever ventured away from Par Vollen.

"He is locked in a cage in the market square awaiting his death. I think we should ask for Revered Mother for mercy and his release," Leliana added.

"I know what you are going to say," Alistair looked at Temene, holding up his hands. "We need as many allies as we can get. But he looks dangerous."

"And you look like an idiot," Morrigan laughed. "Some books have deceiving covers, while some are spot on."

Alistair narrowed his eyes at Morrigan and turned back to Temene. "I've managed to secure us a wagon. Two dwarves displaced from Orzamar were looking for protection for their trade goods. We will be able to haul any supplies we need while looking after them," he said.

"That will be helpful," Temene smiled. "How long will it take to gather everything we need?"

"I found tents and wood for a fire, but most of the foodstuffs have dried up here. The dwarf, Bodahn, expects a caravan in a few days."

"We can set up camp close the village border. We do not want to overstay our welcome here at the inn," Temene replied, standing up and clearing her breakfast.

"So," Leliana paused, looking slightly hurt that they were leaving.

"You are coming of course," Temene nodded at her.

"Oh, yes of course. I will gather the rest of my things from the Chantry right away," Leliana smiled.

Morrigan groaned when Leliana left the room. "I am going out for some air," she added, giving Alistair another dirty look.

"Traveling with three women, most men would be quite pleased," Alistair sat down with a heavy sigh. "Alistair, we should buy this. Don't you think her hair looks pretty?" Alistair raised his voice impersonating Leliana.

"She followed you around the market?" Temene laughed.

"I am glad you find pleasure in my torture," Alistair looked at her slyly.

The market and Leliana's constant chatter had cleared his mind of Temene for a moment, but he was again overcome with feelings for her as she playfully teased him. He tried his best not to flirt with her, but everything he said seemed to come out that way. "I would never torture you on purpose," she grinned, tossing a piece of leftover bread at Cullen.

"Well, then again I was a glutton for punishment at the Chantry," he blurted out, his face reddening immediately.

"You rouge you," Temene grinned widely at his reddening cheeks. "Perhaps we should look in on the Revered Mother regarding this Qunari," she attempted to change the subject from their obvious flirtation.

"Yes, good idea," Alistair fidgeted slightly.

They left the inn, gathering all of their things and left them with their new dwarven companions. Temene commanded Cullen to stay behind again, much to the delight of the younger dwarf, Sandal. They headed towards the Chantry where more refugees had congregated. 


	11. Making Camp

The Chantry was full of more refugees looking for temporary shelter and a charitable meal. There was little to be spared and it pained both Wardens to see it. "This is what the Blight does," Alistair said grimly. "This is why we have to stop it."

The revered mother wasn't seeing visitors, but Alistair used his former templar status to get past the guard. She did not seem eager to help, especially after hearing they were Grey Wardens, but Alistair in his best pleading voice convinced her to release the Qunari prisoner into their charge. She gave them the key to his cage and gladly accepted a donation of the coins they had taken from the dead highwaymen. Both Wardens figured the coins would go to better use feeding and sheltering the refugees.

They approached the Qunari's cage cautious, finding him deep in prayer. Alistair cleared his throat slightly to get his attention. "The simple man has returned," the Qunari said when he opened his eyes. "And he brought an elf with him this time," he sighed.

"The Revered Mother has agreed to free you so that you can aid us against the darkspawn. If you do not want our help, we will be on our way," Alistair replied.

"Let us get on with it then," the Qunari grimaced. "You may address me as Sten."

Alistair unlocked Sten's cage and watched as the lumbering man stepped out of the cage. Sten followed them as they returned to the inn to meet up with Morrigan and Leliana. Sten refused to go inside and stayed near the doorway with Cullen. They waited for the two women to return and then headed back outside to find a suitable place to make camp. "Andraste's tits!" Morrigan exclaimed, seeing Sten standing outside with arms crossed.

"How are you Sten?" Leliana asked in a pleasant tone.

Sten said nothing and only moved as they made their way towards the edge of town. They found a smooth spot near a stream, empty due to a prevalence of giant spiders in the nearby woods. Temene cleansed the area and placed a protective barrier to keep the creatures away. Alistair began to prepare dinner with the help of Leliana, who harassed him about his cooking skills. "It's so cute that you are the camp cook," Leliana giggled.

"It is handy not cute," Alistair replied. "Everyone has to eat."

Everyone set up their small tents, besides Sten who refused to sleep under a useless piece of cloth. Cullen roamed around the edge of camp, barking at any spiders that dared come near. Dinner was quiet, besides the slurping of gravy and clunk of pottery and utensils. Everyone turned in early, even Sten taking to the ground to sleep on two bedrolls lined up to hold his frame.

Temene didn't sleep as well without being in a proper bed and was again plagued by nightmares. She finally seemed to have control of her body in them and let out a horrible scream as the archdemon reared his head towards her. She woke up screaming with Alistair kneeling over her with his hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" Alistair asked, his face dim in the darkness. "I heard you screaming and ran in here."

"It was just a dream, but it was horrible. I have had them ever since the Joining," she replied, nearly scared of breath.

"Yes, we all have them. I should have warned you. They are supposed to be worse when you join during a Blight. For what it is worth, I am sorry," Alistair replied, feeling her rapid heartbeat through her skin.

"Thank you for waking me up," she smiled in the darkness. She placed one of her hands on his and squeezed it. "Would you stay for a little while," she paused. "And talk. I don't think I will be sleeping very soon."

"Of course," he replied, sitting down beside her. "Besides I think I am safer in here than anywhere in camp. Sten could crush my head with one hand," he whispered.

Temene tried to hold in a laugh and sat up next to him. "Isn't it strange how we've come here? We had such similar lives and could've met in such different circumstances," she added.

"What do you mean?"

"We both got locked away without any choice of our own. If Duncan hadn't recruited us, perhaps you would've been tracking me as an apostate. I would've liked to have seen you in Templar armor," she teased.

"It is quite fashionable isn't it. And sexy," he growled slightly.

Temene laughed again and squeezed his arm. "I don't think I have gone a day where you haven't made me laugh. It is strange, I almost never laughed in the Circle. As bad as things are, I am actually happy," she paused.

"I'm, happy too," Alistair replied, feeling all the blood rushing to his head. He gently touched the hand she had placed on his arm. "I," he began before Leliana burst into the tent.

"Are we having a slumber party?" she asked, climbing into the small tent. "I saw Alistair come into your tent after you screamed, is everything alright?'

"I just had a nightmare and Alistair was trying to cheer me up," Temene replied, biting her lip.

"Oh how awful. I don't often get them, unless I eat a lot of sweets. I once had a dream that a giant pastry was trying to kill me," Leliana recalled.

"Was that before or after your dream about the Maker?" Alistair asked.

"Hmm, I don't remember," Leliana thought for a moment.

"I should let you rest Temene," Alistair excused myself. "Good night."

"Good night Alistair," Leliana said loudly.

"Good night Alistair," Temene added with a slight sigh.

Leliana stayed for a moment longer, retelling her dream of the giant strawberry pastry. She returned to her tent and Temene slid back down onto her bed roll. She'd wanted to kiss Alistair before Leliana had come in. She wondered if she should wait for him to kiss her. He was always joking and she worried that his flirtations were only apart of his personality. She tried to sleep but all her thoughts returned to Alistair.

They accumulated all the supplies they needed in the next few days and began their trek towards the Lake Calenhad docks. Temene had left the tower a little over a month ago and had doubts about returning. But she was eager to hear if Jowan had been caught and wondered if Cullen was doing well. They spent most of the day on the road, stopping only to rest and make camp. She didn't get the chance to speak with Alistair much and was too exhausted most nights to have nightmares. 


	12. A Family of Hawkes

As the Grey Wardens passed out of Lothering, Lene Hawke was just returning from a short trek into the wilds to gather flowers to place around her father's urn. He'd passed away a few years ago, and Hawke took any chance she could get to leave the house. She had two siblings, twins who didn't get along with each other or her. Their mother supported the family by washing clothes and mending old linens.

It wasn't a great life, but it was better than living in the Circle Tower, Hawke imagined. She was an apostate mage, as her father had been. Her father had told her awful stories about his life in Kirkwall's Circle. He had abhorred life until he'd seen their mother shopping in the Gallows. He fell instantly in love and vowed to leave the Circle forever with her on his arm.

Luckily for Malcolm Hawke, he was handsome and charming and the young Leandra Amell soon fell in love with the mage. With the help of a kindly templar, Malcolm escaped the tower and fled with Leandra to Ferelden. They eventually settled in Lothering where they raised their three children in secret. Lene had developed magic early and Malcolm trained her to keep her powers under control. He found his hands full when his younger daughter Bethany also developed an affinity for magic.

Lene ached inside when she could not heal her father's illness with magic. When he passed away, she started to believe her gifts were worthless. She stopped using magic altogether for a while and went to work at Dane's Refuge as a bar maid in order to make ends meet at home. Bethany had started at the inn only a few months ago, after their brother Carver joined the army.

As she neared the house, Lene could see Bethany waving her down. "Lennie, where have you been? You were supposed to be to work today!" Bethany exclaimed as Lene approached her.

"I forgot," Lene shrugged her shoulders. "But I picked these for father," she added, handing the flowers to Bethany.

"He'll love them," Bethany replied, smelling the fresh flowers. "Oh, you should have seen old Barlin the other day! Some thugs started a fight with some Grey Wardens and he got out his broom and drove them out!"

"Wardens? Here?" Lene asked. Bethany only shook her head.

"Let's cut through his property to get home," Lene suggested, starting off into a jog.

"Hey, wait up. There have been spiders roaming around. It isn't safe to go running off alone," Bethany called.

She ran after Lene, finally catching up with her when she stopped behind a tree next to Barlin's barn. "Lene!" Bethany said, nearly out of breath.

"Shhh," Lene quieted her. "Look," she added with a whisper. She pointed towards a man standing next to the barn with his pants around his ankles and a young woman knelt in front of him.

"Oh Maker," Bethany covered her mouth. The two sisters' faces reddened as they held in their laughter.

"Oy, what are you kids doing behind my barn!" Lene finally shouted in her best Barlin voice.

The young woman screamed and ran as the man quickly tried to pull up his pants. "Lennie, is that you?" the man yelled, turning around with a look on anger on his face.

"Carver!" Lene laughed. "When did you get back? Did you desert the army?"

"I just got back today. Didn't you hear, the king's army got slaughtered at Ostagar. I barely made it out alive," he said crossly.

"You were serving with the King?" Bethany asked. "Why didn't you go home to see Mother? She worries about you everyday."

"I just happened to run into, Peaches, on my way home," he looked at them angrily.

"Well, sorry for interrupting," Lene held in another laugh. Carver's face squished up in the funny way when he was angry.

"Can you ever be serious Lene?" he sulked. "The darkspawn will be here in a week."

"Then we will fight them all!" she laughed.

"No," Carver said, taking her angrily by the shoulders. "You didn't see what I saw. There is no stopping them. We have to leave."

"We should get you back to Mother, see what she has to say," Lene flicked his arms off of her.

They returned to their small house together, their mother happy to see Carver return. "My boy," she embraced him. "You have returned safely."

"Only by the grace of the Maker," Carver replied. "I was stationed at Ostagar. No one I knew made it out alive."

"Oh bless the Maker," Leandra covered her mouth in horror.

"The darkspawn are headed this way Mother. We need to leave Lothering," he added.

"Leave Lothering? But this is our home?"

"I know Mother, but the darkspawn will not stop. We will only be safe if we leave."

Leandra sat down for a moment to collect her thoughts. "What do you think Lene?" she finally asked.

"If what Carver says is true, then perhaps we should leave. The wilds seemed a little more dangerous when I went out this time. There was something in the air that didn't feel right," Lene replied.

"Then I guess we should start packing," Leandra held her forehead.

The family began gathering their things solemnly, planning to leave in a few days. They tried to sell as many things as they could but it wasn't easy. They found a lovely spot to leave Malcolm's ashes to rest and headed out into wilds. They ran into small pockets of darkspawn as they went and tried fighting as best they could. They reached a hillside where they could see far down into the valley and tried to go around a larger group that was marching in their direction.

"Are those people down there?" Carver asked, shielding his eyes from the sun for a moment. "They are heading right for the horde."

"Hey, hello can you hear me?" Lene yelled, waving her arms towards the figures. She began to run down the hill, hoping to warn the two individuals.

"Lene, come back!" Carver yelled after her.

An arrow whizzed by Lene's head, as the darkspawn spotted her on the rocky hill. "Hey, get down!" Lene yelled, ducking to avoid the volley of arrows. "There are darkspawn ahead," she added, continuing to run towards the couple.

"Be gone apostate," the man replied, clutching his side. He wore the armor of a templar and looked suspiciously at the staff on Lene's back.

"Wesley," the woman chastised. "This isn't the time, we need to get somewhere safe."

"I don't think there is anywhere safe," Lene remarked. "We've been traveling for days."

"More like running," Wesley groaned.

"Hush," the woman added. "My name is Aveline and I suppose we better do something about those darkspawn."

Carver and the rest of the family had finally caught up and Bethany stared at the templar with a stark pale expression on her face. "Bethany, stay here with Ser Wesley and Mother, we will take care of those darkspawn."

"Are you sure we will be safe?" Bethany asked, looking again at the wounded templar.

"We won't be gone long," Lene replied, taking her staff off her back.

She rushed off with the two warriors to make quick work of the horde. She used every spell she knew to keep the group at bay while Aveline and Carver hacked at the stragglers that made it through. When the last darkspawn had fallen, they returned back to where they had left the rest of their party. They found Ser Wesley worse than before and Bethany pacing back and forth. "He is not well," Bethany said. "But he refused to let me heal him."

"Wesley," Aveline bent down over him.

"Aveline," he sighed heavily. "I can feel it in my blood. It gets worse every second that I breathe."

"No Wesley," Aveline replied, her voice dropping.

"It looks like the Blight," Lene replied, looking at Wesley's sallow cheeks. "I am sorry."

"Please Aveline," Wesley begged, closing his eyes for a moment.

"No, you can't ask this of me!" Aveline cried.

"Please," he repeated, touching the hilt of the dagger on her belt.

"Leave us for a moment please," Aveline sniffled.

The Hawke family left the woman in peace, finding a clearing with a few large stones. "Are we going to make it out alive?" Leandra wondered, sitting down on one of the rocks. "We've been running for days. Where will we go? The only home we have left is in Kirkwall."

"Why not go there?" Lene suggested. "We will be far from the Blight and we have an estate there, right Mother?"

"Yes, your uncle Gamlen has been caring for it. Maybe it we could make it to a ship," Leandra replied.

"We can head towards Gwaren," Bethany added.

"I suppose that is the best plan we have got," Carver added, sulking on a nearby rock.

Aveline returned with reddened eyes and Ser Wesley's shield strapped to her back. "I have no where else to go, would you mind terribly if I traveled with you for the moment," Aveline asked blankly, sitting down on another one of the rocks.

"Of course," Lene replied. "Do you want to, bury him?" she added hesitantly.

"Perhaps, it would be better to return his ashes to the earth," Aveline replied without expression.

"Come on Carver," Lene grabbed her brother's arm.

They cut down wood and surrounded Wesley's body with it. Lene lit the makeshift pyre and they returned to the clearing to move on. They travelled for a few more days, encountering more small packs of darkspawn. As they neared Gwaren and tired from near exhaustion, they found themselves overwhelmed by a ogre. The giant beast swatted at Carver, Aveline, and Lene, throwing them to the ground, leaving only Bethany and Leandra standing. The ogre had ignored the two women, as Bethany protected them with a force field. When the ogre moved to crush her siblings, Bethany lashed out, leaving her mother alone. She stunned the beast but he quickly grabbed ahold of her and squeezed the life out of her in one blow.

"No!" Lene yelled, trying to stand up with her broken staff still in her hand. She flung the broken staff at the ogre to get his attention. She concentrated all her efforts on creating an enormous fireball within her hands and released it with a power wave of energy. The ogre fell backwards, burning but still alive.

"Now," Aveline yelled, running at the beast with her sword. She plunged it into the ogre's throat, as it let out a horrible sound.

Carver charged and thrust his sword into the ogre's head, killing it with a final blow. Leandra had run to Bethany's side, where she lie sobbing. The sounds of more darkspawn approaching enraged Lene. "Curse you Maker!" she cried out, hobbling to Bethany's body.

She knew she could fight no longer, the blast of fire draining the last ounce of energy she had. Tears streamed down her face as she held her sister's limp hand. Carver and Aveline came near, hoping to protect them from the horde that closed in. Lene heard another terrible roar and looked up in anger to see a dragon overhead. She nearly collapsed, knowing they would never overcome such a beast.

The dragon drove the darkspawn away however, landing near to where they huddled together. Before their eyes, the dragon transformed into an old woman wearing blood-red armor. For a moment Lene thought she was dead and looked on in disbelief at the shapeshifter. "You have come this far and you intend to give up?" the old woman addressed Lene, who knelt hopelessly on the ground.

"Who are you?" Lene asked, tears still running down her cheeks.

"You may call me Flemeth," the woman replied.

"The famed Witch of the Wilds?" Lene asked. "My father told me about you."

"Oh and what stories did he tell?" Flemeth laughed.

"We owe you our lives," Lene added, standing slowly.

"And what do you plan to do with those lives now?"

"We were trying to get to Gwaren, to leave Ferelden for Kirkwall."

"Then perhaps you can repay me for getting you safely there. I would ask only that you return this amulet to its rightful owners, the Dalish. They are camped north of Kirkwall near Sundermount."

"That is all you ask?"

"Your journey will only get harder from here my dear," Flemeth replied, handing Lene the amulet. She took it in a haze and watched as the old woman looked over the rest of the group.

They made another pyre for Bethany and headed towards Gwaren, Flemeth keeping her promise to keep them safe. It took nearly all the coin they had to buy their way onto a ship heading to Kirkwall. Many other Fereldens had decided to escape from the Blight as well. Flemeth saw them off with few words, returning to keep an eye on the Grey Wardens she had just sent off to end the Blight. 


	13. Circles

The Wardens arrived at the Lake Calenhad docks as night fell. They stopped at the Spoiled Princess, planning to rest and head across the lake in the morning. Once again, Sten remained outside, looking around the area and muttering to himself. Cullen followed tentatively behind, knowing that he must stay outside as well. Inside the inn, they found Old Kester, the man who takes the boat to the Tower, sulking over a mug of ale.

"I remember you. You fell ill in the boat and nearly fell into the water," Kester hiccuped.

"Why are you not at your boat?" Temene asked, smelling the alcohol on his breath.

"The Templars have taken her. There is some kind of trouble in the tower, they aren't letting anyone across. So I thought it was the perfect opportunity for a drink," he slurred.

"Trouble? What sort of trouble?"

"They don't tell me anything. They only light the lamp on the other side when I am supposed to bring the boat over. Maybe the Templar who took my boat can tell you more."

Temene turned to her companions for support. "If there is indeed something going on in the tower, perhaps it is best if we try to get inside as soon as possible," she suggested.

"I will not be accompanying you naturally," Morrigan replied. "I will stay at the inn and, keep watch."

"Worried they will lock you up?" Alistair smiled slightly.

Morrigan narrowed her eyes at Alistair but said nothing. She took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink. "I suppose it is just us then," Temene looked at Alistair and Leliana. "I doubt Sten would enjoy being surrounded by mages and I don't know how Cullen would do in a boat."

They headed back outside, finding Sten and Cullen digging through a pile of refuse nearby. Temene shook her head and headed towards the dock. They found a templar guarding the boat tied firming to the docks. "Sorry, no one can visit the tower at this time," the templar held up his hand to stop them

"But we have to get across," Temene insisted.

"No, order of the Knight-Commander," the templar replied.

"But I am a templar," Alistair lied. "Returning this rouge mage to the circle. And I am good friends with the Knight-Commander."

"Greagoir," Temene whispered.

"Yes, very good friends with Knight-Commander Greagoir And this mage has been bad, very, very naughty," Alistair went on, beginning to ramble.

"Then where is your armor?" the templar replied suspiciously.

"I had to go, undercover," Alistair lied again. "She's a very sneak mage. Sneaky, sneaky in all sorts of ways," he continued.

Temene elbowed his slightly to get him to shut up. "See, she is a feisty one too. Greagoir will want to deal with her right away."

"Look," the templar finally sighed. "If you want to get in trouble for disobeying the Knight-Commander, that is your business. You can row yourself across, I am not going to get involved."

They climbed into the boat and Alistair began to row them towards the tower. "You are a surprising good liar. That is unexpected," Temene remarked as Alistair continued to row.

"I do it only out of necessity. I could never do it to harm someone," Alistair replied with slight hesitation in his voice.

He rowed them the rest of the way, letting the boat hit the tower docks gently. As they climbed out, the imposing tower loomed above them. "You lived here most of your life?" Leliana asked. "How ghastly," she remarked.

They pushed open the heavy doors with much effort and found the Tower lobby in disarray. Templars shuffled back and forth while several stood guard at the large doors that opened to the main building. Knight Commander Greagoir stood ordering the group. He turned cautiously to look at the newly arrived guests. "What are you doing here?" Greagoir addressed Temene.

"I have come to seek the aid of the Mages against the Blight. What has happened here?" Temene asked.

"How did I know the Grey Wardens would come calling at the worst possible time," he sneered. "We have lost control of tower. Demons and abominations stalk the halls. There were too many to fight so I called for retreat while we wait for reinforcements from Denerim. They will be here in a few days and I have called for the Right of Annulment."

"What? You can't do that! Surely there are some still alive in there?" Temene protested.

"I would be hard pressed to believe anyone could survive what we witnessed."

"No, that isn't possible. I will not give up on them. Let me pass and I will search for survivors and kill any need the help of the Circle against the Blight. I will do anything to aid them."

"If you want to attempt such a foolish task, then I cannot stop you. The doors will be locked behind you. You must bring me evidence that you have cleared all the abominations before they are opened again. I must be assured by Irving himself. Will you wait to enter until the morning or go now?"

"We have travelled long and it would be unwise to face abominations with so tired a constitution," Temene replied.

"Very well. Accommodations in the hall are meager, but they are at your disposal," Greagoir replied with effort.

The party tried to found a decent place to rest on the cold stone floors and ate little before heading to bed. Temene lie awake with worry, both for her mage friends and the fate of Cullen. She had not seen him among the templars. She tried to rest as best she could, knowing what she would face in the morning. She was cautious not to let herself dream, worried that the demonic influence would enter her more easily. 


	14. Templars and Other Abominations

The Wardens prepared as best they could before entering the Circle Tower. They would be facing demons and abominations as they searched for any mages that still lived. Temene did not hold much hope to find anyone alive, even if she had faith in her fellow mages. They gathered what they could carry and sent word across the lake to Sten and Morrigan that they would be delayed.

The doors were opened for them and promptly shut with a loud echo. The halls were deathly silent as they entered the apprentice's quarters. Many mangled bodies lie visible on the ground. "Are you alright?" Alistair asked as he saw Temene's face go pale.

"I should have expected this," Temene said, looking at the torn bodies of the young students.

The bodies of templars were scattered among the dead apprentices. Temene didn't dare look at their faces for fear of seeing Cullen. There were no signs of abominations or demons in the dorms so they proceeded on. They found a small group of mages inside the sitting room, still alive and fighting a single Shade.

"Enchanter Wynne!" Temene called, recognizing the aging mage. "I knew there would be others alive."

"Temene, right?" Wynne replied. "You have returned with the Wardens?"

"We seek the aid of the mages to assist us with the Blight. Though I see there are much bigger problems to solve first. What has happened here?"

"I fear it is the work of Uldred. He was with the First Enchanter in the Harrowing Chamber when all this started. I fear he has resorted to blood magic."

"Why Uldred?" Temene asked.

"He has been talking recklessly about leaving the Circle, breaking away from the Chantry and the Templars," Wynne replied.

"We need to stop this before it gets any worse. We need to find Irving. If he is in the Harrowing Chamber, then that is where we need to go," Temene replied.

"Let us move ahead then," Wynne replied. "I will come with you and we will clear the tower together. Greagoir will have to open the doors."

As they entered the classrooms they encountered the abominations and demons for the first time. There were many more to fight as they made their way upstairs to the mages quarters. There seemed to be no end to them and no one left alive to help. On the upper floor, they heard a noise from the stock room and entered cautiously, blades drawn. Inside, the Tranquil Owain was busying himself with a broom. "Owain, what are you doing in here?" Wynne asked.

"I was just trying to clean the stock room. Niall and the others made a mess of it," Owain replied monotonously.

"Niall? He was in the meeting with Uldred. Had he turned into an abomination?"

"He was here looking for the Litany of Andralla."

"The Litany? Then my suspicions are correct, blood magic is at work here. The Litany protects against the effects of blood magic."

"We need to find Niall," Temene replied. "We will stand little chance against blood magic."

"No doubt he would have went to the Harrowing Chamber to confront Uldred with the Litany," Wynne added.

They continued on, hoping to find Niall before he entered the chamber. As they entered the Templar's quarters they found many more foes that hindered their progress. The rebel blood mages that were creating the demons had congregated in the reading library. The mages were so cowardly, they tried to bargain their way out. They felt justified in the use of blood magic in order to free themselves from the templars. Loghain had been conspiring with Uldred, promising freedom for the mages.

"There is no justification for what you have done here. What about the lives of the fellow mages you have killed?" Wynne replied angrily.

"There is no arguing with blood mages," Alistair added, cleansing the air of their magic.

The mages tried to fight back but they were nearly useless without their abilities and fell easily. Temene was furious that her fellow mages had turned to blood magic. Mages that she knew and had studied with lay dead before her feet. "How could so many have fallen?" she asked herself quietly.

"The allure of freedom is too great for some," Wynne remarked.

They continued on until they neared the entrance to the fourth floor. Inside the foyer, a large pile of bodies had fallen. "Niall," Wynne replied, kneeling down by one of the fallen mages.

"He is just resting," an eery voice replied. "As you should be. You have had a long day, wouldn't you like to sleep? Even just for a little while."

"A sloth demon?" Temene replied, seeing the demon hiding in the shadows. "We will not succumb to your tricks," she yawned.

"See, you are so weary," the demon's voice called.

"Mmm, I am tired," Alistair replied, rubbing his eyes.

"No, we have to fight it," Wynne said, her eyelids fluttering with weariness.

Temene tried to shock the demon out of hiding but only a small spark emanated from her hand. "No, I don't t think I can go on," she closed her eyes, feeling utterly drained of energy. She opened them again and tried her best to conjure a spell. Even when she thought her eyes were open, she could only see the blackness of sleep. She felt a warm and relaxing feeling fall over her as she drifted off. 


	15. Lost in Desires

The Fade was familiar to Temene though she tried her best not to visit there often. At times, however, she could not resist her dreams. She'd already gone through her Harrowing and knew she would be tricked and deceived at every turn. She woke up in a crumbling fortress that at first she mistook for Ostagar. Duncan stood before her with a smile on his face. "You cannot fool me spirt," she replied. "I know that you fell at Ostagar."

"You are mistaken," Duncan replied. "The witch tricked you. We were victorious at Ostagar and destroyed all of the darkspawn. We have returned to Weisshaupt to rebuild the Order, with your help of course."

"It is not true. We will never truly defeat the darkspawn," Temene narrowed her eyes. "Be gone from my sight."

The angry spirit lashed out at Temene but could not stand against her magic. A summoning font appeared in its place. She looked into the misty font for a way out but could see only one path ahead. She entered the path and found another figure in front of her, another mage. "You are Niall?" Temene recognized his face.

"Who are you? Another spirit?" Niall asked. "No, you feel, different? You are the mage who left with the Grey Wardens?"

"I have come to help. Did you find the Litany of Andralla before you were trapped here by the sloth demon?"

"Yes, I was holding it in my hands. Myself and a few of the other remaining mages were going to the Harrowing Chamber to destroy Uldred. Irving saved our lives helping us escape from the madness that had begun there."

"Do you think Irving is dead?"

"I do not know how long he could fight against Uldred's power."

"We need to try to get out of here."

"I have been here too long, I will never escape. You must kill the demon that lives here in order to escape. I tried looking for a way out but there is no other. He hides at the center of these islands."

Temene saw another summoning font and approached it, seeing each island clearly. A powerful force blocked the center island where the demon hid. She chose an island at random and was transported there. Each island was full of new horrors, but she found spirits that wished to aid her as well. She was loathe to trust them, but had little choice. Each of her companions had been sheltered in one of the islands, already under the sloth demon's control.

Freeing Alistair was the most difficult task, as Temene felt herself nearly giving into the dream. She found Alistair sitting at a table eating dinner. He welcomed her eagerly and with a sense of intimate familiarity. "Hello," he smiled, taking a bite of stew. "I thought you would never make it to dinner. It is warming in the pot."

"We can't stay here," Temene replied.

"But we are expecting my sister at any moment. We will finally be a happy family again."

"Sister?"

"You've met her before, at our wedding. You do not regret allowing her to move in with us, do you?"

"Wedding?" Temene laughed slightly.

"You can't have forgotten our wedding? It was a beautiful summer day. It was the happiest moment of my life. You've made every wish of mine come true. I finally have a real family."

"Alistair," Temene sat down, her face reddening slightly with embarrassment. "This isn't real."

"I know this feels like a dream, isn't it wonderful."

"No, Alistair, we are in the Fade. It takes advantages of our desires, no matter how harmless they may be," she added.

"You mean?" Alistair, dropped his spoon into his bowl. "I," he stuttered in embarrassment. "I don't know what to say. You are real aren't you?"

"Yes, I am real," Temene said, taking his hand. "We are in the Circle Tower. A sloth demon has trapped us in the Fade. We need to wake up," she squeezed his hand.

"Yes, I will," Alistair paused, the dream beginning to fade around them.

Temene knew this dream was not only to fool Alistair, but to tempt her as well. She felt a deep affection for Alistair. She felt safe around him. She found her other companions equally ensorcelled by the Fade. Temene convinced them all of the dream, reminding them of the task that lie before them.

With her companions free and the center island finally accessible, she made her way to face the sloth demon. She refused to listen to anything the demon had to say, knowing it would only sink her further into the Fade. She attacked the demon at once, trying to drain it of its magic. Her companions appeared after Temene had broken the demon's hold on them.

She drained the lyrium veins that gave the demon power and it fell pleading for its life in exchange for eternal happiness and riches. "How could I be deceived so easily?" Wynne sat down with a sigh as the demon faded away.

"We all fell under the demon's trap," Temene reassured her, trying not to think of the encounter she had freeing Alistair. "Niall found the Litany. It should be in his hand when we awaken."

Temene could feel herself slowly being pulled away from the Fade, as the demon's influence wore off. She kept telling herself to wake up and finally opened her eyes, seeing light above her. She felt something heavy on her chest and realized Alistair had fallen onto her as they fell asleep. "Temene?" he replied, as he lifted his head from her breast.

"We are okay," she replied, sitting up.

"It feels like we have been asleep for days," Leliana held her head.

Temene stood and looked at the fading light from the windows that shone onto the small solar calendar at the center of the room. "No, it has only been a few hours," she replied, looking down at the calendar.

"Here is the Litany," Wynne said sadly, taking it from Niall's lifeless hand. "He was so close."

"How do we use it?" Temene asked.

"Uldred will try to drain any remaining mages still alive to feed his power. You must charge the Litany with a spell to combat his power."

"Let us not waste any more time," Temene replied.

They gathered their strength for a moment, still slightly listless from the Fade. They climbed the stairs to the final floor of the tower, finding a single templar trapped in an immovable forcefield. Temene recognized the soft curls on Cullen's head immediately and knelt at the base of the force field. She felt a sense of relief that he was alive, but knew not how he'd come to be trapped in the force field. She yelled Cullen's name but he did not respond. 


	16. Cullen's Temptation

Cullen stood silently in the Harrowing chamber watching as Temene went through her test. She hadn't been in the Fade long when she collapsed to the ground. He knew that she would either remain still or the abomination inside of her would awaken. He waited patiently, knowing he would never be able to strike her down if she was possessed. He prayed silently in his mind that she would remain still as he held his sword above her chest.

He had watched her in silence for so many years. He tried not to show her any special attention but he could not resist. He had been enchanted by her looks and aptitude. He often found her studying late in the hall, dedicated to keeping her abilities under her control. He always found ways to give her innocent gifts like a small painting or a book. He would pretend it was junk or something he had just found.

First Enchanter Irving knelt over Temene and looked her over. He nodded at Greagoir that she had indeed passed her test and was free of abominations. "Will you return her to the apprentice quarters?" Greagoir asked to Cullen.

"As you wish Knight-Commander," Cullen let out a relieved sigh. He bent on one knee and picked up her limp body. It was no effort to carry her small frame downstairs. She remained still, breathing softly in his arms. He found the apprentice's dorm empty and set her down on her bed. He looked down at her sleeping face and felt the sudden urge to kiss her. He glanced around the empty room and slowly moved his lips to hers.

He kissed her for only a moment and was startled to find her eyes open when he pulled away. "I am so sorry Temene. Maker forgive I could not help myself," he lowered his head shamefully.

"Cullen," she said softly, placing a gentle hand on his face. "I have waited for you to kiss me for so long," she smiled.

"I," he paused, staring into her eyes.

"I have loved you for so long and I hope that you love me," she caressed his face.

"Temene, I do love you. I have dreamed of having a life with you," he said happily, grasping her hand.

"Then let us leave the tower and be together," she replied with a smile.

"They would not let us leave. We must try to deny our feelings."

"I know a secret way. They would never be able to find us. Come with me," she said, standing from the bed and taking his hand in hers.

She led him towards the basement and through a series of caves. They opened up onto a beautiful field where a small cottage sat. A large blossoming tree bowed over the house and filled the air with a sweet fragrance. "We can make our home here," Temene smiled and led him towards the house.

"This is all so, strange," Cullen paused, wondering how the caves in the tower could have led them to this place.

"It is perfect," Temene gushed.

The small cottage was adequately furnished and cozy. Temene pulled him into the cottage and began to kiss him again. He felt an excitement inside like he had never felt before. He was overwhelmed with lust for her and kissed her passionately in return. She slipped her dress slowly off her shoulders and stood naked before him. He touched her hesitantly, her skin smooth and warm as his fingers caressed her. "Temene, I," he said, before she placed a gentle finger onto his lips to quiet him.

She took off his armor piece by piece and touched his body as no woman had done before, pulling him towards the bed. He lie on top of her, his body pressed tightly against her own. Her mouth engulfed his with long kisses, as her hands raked along his body. He felt a sudden fear and pulled away as she kissed his neck. "This feels wrong Temene," he said, looking down at her lustful eyes.

"What could be wrong my love?" she purred, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. "Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

"I, I don't know," he lowered his eyes. They seemed to be entrancing him, leading him to do whatever she asked him to.

She pulled him inside her and fell back with a soft moan. Her hands grasped at his back almost to the point of pain. "But you left the tower," he suddenly remembered, while she moved under him. He was overwhelmed with pleasure being inside of her, but something felt wrong.

"How could I leave? I am right here," she cooed with a heavy breath.

The pleasure he felt was overwhelming, but he had to put an end to it. "I have to stop," he said firmly, trying to pull away from her. "You left with the Grey Wardens, I remember."

"You are wrong, I am right here," she replied, pulling him down violently.

"Let go of me!"

"No, you can't leave me Cullen," she cried out in a strange voice, her eyes blazing.

"Who are you? Leave me alone!" he shouted, pushing her away.

"Cullen, Cullen!" she called out as he ran for the doorway.

He ran out of the room, feeling pulled back towards the house. He could still hear her voice calling his name in a shrill tone. He collapsed to the ground, trying to fight the resistance he felt. He covered his ears, trying to silence her voice. "Maker save me," he prayed aloud. When he opened his eyes and saw Temene before him once again. She was kneeling in front of him, calling his name repeatedly. 


	17. Bloodstained Robes

"Cullen, can you hear me?" Temene asked, kneeling down in front of the force field that trapped him.

There was no rousing the templar in his powerful cage. Temene stood and tried to dispel the field, but it only sparked back at her with a loud noise. The noise startled Cullen and he looked up at them in fear. "No, these tricks again!" he shouted. "Why must they tempt me with shameful desires? I will not give in! You cannot fool me!"

"Cullen?" Temene spoke louder, touching the field. It instantly forced her hand away.

"Why do you linger demon?" Cullen spoke directly to her. "I would not lie with you, now leave me in peace. You cannot use my love for Temene against me!"

Temene glanced back at her companions, slightly red-faced. She wanted to ask them to leave the room, but they needed to move on with the task at hand. "It really is Temene, I am not a demon. I am here to help," she knelt down again to look at Cullen in the face.

"No, it can't be you. You left to be with the Grey Wardens. Why would you return?" he responded.

"We've come to seek aid against the Blight."

"No, I will not believe it. You cannot break me. You are just another cruel torture manifested from my desires."

"Cullen, please listen to me. We've just come from Lothering. You told me that is where you grew up. It was as beautiful as you said it was. I even climbed up to the top of the windmill like you told me you'd done as a child."

"But how would a demon know," he paused. "Is it really you?"

"It is Cullen. Believe me," she said, placing her hand against the force field.

"You have to stop Uldred. He put me in here because he knew he couldn't break me. You have to kill everyone in the chamber. None of the other mages is safe from abomination," he insisted.

"I will do my best," Temene replied, standing up. "Then we will return to free you."

"Then may the Maker give you strength," he replied, returning to his mediations.

The rest of her companions were completely quiet and didn't know how to mend the awkward moment they had just witnessed. Temene said nothing but moved towards the stairs that led to the Harrowing Chamber. She took a deep breath, holding her staff in one hand and the Litany in the other. She tried to break her mind away from Cullen but it was difficult. She forced the door open with a powerful push and burst into the room.

The abomination that had once been Uldred, stooped torturing the First Enchanter, who looked barely alive. "Stop!" Temene yelled, shocking the demon with a powerful wave of electricity. The shock did little to disturb Uldred.

"Oh look Irving, more blood with which to torture you," Uldred gurgled, laughing slightly.

"You will have to take the blood from my corpse," Temene replied, casting a protective ward around herself and her companions. She knew it wouldn't hold against blood magic for long, but it might give her enough time to charge the Litany and destroy Uldred.

"I will take great pleasure," Uldred laughed, beginning to revive the dead mages with demonic energy.

"Use the Litany now!" Wynne yelled.

Temene concentrated all her efforts on the power she felt within the simple scroll of paper. Her mind was filled with the purity that the Litany contained. Uldred's hold over the rising abominations wavered and he rushed towards Temene and her companions in anger. Alistair held his shield but Uldred's strength pushed him backwards. "Hang on Alistair," Wynne called, manifesting a spell of strength to aid him.

Alistair cried out as he pushed against Uldred who continued to press all of his power onto Alistair's shield. With a forceful push, he sent Uldred back a step and brought his sword across in a quick blow. The wound cut Uldred deeply and he cried out in a horrible shriek. He hunched over and quickly manifested a paralyzing spell to immobilize Alistair and Leliana. He then began to attempt to drain Wynne's energy to aid himself.

Temene tried to shock him again, but a powerful anti-magic ward protected him. She reached into the paralyzing forcefield that held Leliana and tried to grabbed one of her daggers. She could feel her hand going numb and quickly pulled it out, a dagger held tightly in it. She lunged towards Uldred and drove the dagger into his neck. Horrible black blood gushed out from the wound and covered Temene. "You will die with me mage!" Uldred gurgled, grabbing onto Temene and using his last amount of energy to thrust her against the wall.

She fell to the ground unconscious as Uldred's power began to wane. The paralyzing fields diminished and Alistair and Leliana ran to Temene's side as Uldred sunk to the ground. "No," Alistair cried out, seeing Temene covered in blood.

"She is still alive," Leliana replied, feeling a weak pulse on Temene's neck.

"Let me look at her," Wynne said weakly, hobbling to her side.

She laid her hands upon Temene and used all the energy she had left to heal her. "We can only hope that most of this blood is Uldred's," Wynne collapsed.

"Wynne?" Irving called, finally free of Uldred's domination.

"Irving? Is it really you? You did not become an abomination?" Wynne asked, turning to the First Enchanter.

"Uldred wanted to reveal in my torture for as long as he could. Fortunately, his brutality saved my life," he replied, trying to get to his feet. "Temene?" he asked, as he approached them.

"We have come on behalf of the Grey Wardens as the treaties state," Alistair replied. "Though I do not know in what shape you will be to fight."

"What has occurred in this tower pales in comparison with what the Blight will do. We will aid you in anyway we can," Irving knelt down with great pain to look at Temene. "She will awaken in time," he added, placing his hand on her head.

Alistair carried Temene in his arms as they left the Harrowing Chamber. Cullen waited for them at the bottom of the stairs, free from Uldred's prison. He drew his sword as Irving and Wynne approached. "You will go no further," Cullen said, pointing the sword at them. "What have you done to her?" he asked, looking at Temene's bloodied robes.

"She has saved all of our lives, as well as yours young templar," Irving replied. "Uldred is dead, along with all the other blood mages who followed him."

"And how can I be sure you are not abominations?" Cullen asked.

"I was once I templar," Alistair replied. "I assure you that they are free from abominations."

"You will understand if I do not trust you, friend," Cullen replied, his hand beginning to tremble from exhaustion. "But I will escort you to the Knight-Commander nonetheless, if he still lives."

Cullen followed behind them with his sword still in hand as they returned to the tower foyer. The doors were opened after Irving spoke the secret words that meant the tower was again clear. Alistair set Temene down on one of the makeshift beds and checked on her. She still had a weak pulse, but was breathing normally.

"The tower will need to be cleansed but we have destroyed all of the abominations," Wynne addressed Greagoir.

"I will take our reinforcements inside and began clearing the bodies," Greagoir said with a small inkling of emotion.

Wynne watched as the templars that were prepared to annul the entire Circle began removing bodies to the outer grounds where they would be cleansed and cremated. When they had cleared the dormitories, Temene was placed on one of the beds. Alistair tried to wipe the blood from her hands and face as best he could, but her robes would be permanently stained with blood. He rested in the bunk beside her, listening carefully for her to awaken.


	18. An End to Temptation

Alistair heard a slight groan from Temene's bunk and he sprung out of bed quickly to check on her. She opened her eyes slowly and gave him a slight look of indignation. "Why is it that every time I wake up from something horrible, you are standing over me?" Temene smiled.

"I guess I am bad luck," Alistair laughed and grinned at her. "Every time I see you, you are on your back."

"Are you implying I am whore?" Temene laughed slightly, holding her head.

"No, I meant, laying down," Alistair stumbled, his face reddening. "You need to start wearing armor or something."

"And give up this robes," Temene's words trailed off as she saw her blood-stained dress.

"I didn't want to have to undress you," Alistair said, immediately regretting his wording once again.

"I will keep that in mind," Temene grinned, trying to sit up.

"No, you need to rest. I insist," Alistair said, motioning for her to lay back down.

Temene slept for a while longer then got up to bathe. The blood had soaked into her small clothes and stained her skin in places. She sat down carefully in the bath, her entire body aching. Everything that had happened had become a blur and she tried to recall it all. She remembered Alistair's dream in the Fade and Cullen's anger towards her. The confrontation with Uldred was missing from her mind but she didn't feel regret at losing that memory.

She was able to find another set of robes that fit, but the rest of her small clothes had been left at Ostagar. She walked around slightly self-consciously with nothing on underneath her robes. The remaining mages reassembled and thanked the Wardens for their help. Irving would be calling any mages that had gone abroad back to the tower. As they made preparations to leave the tower, Temene found Cullen alone in the Chantry, still fervent in his prayers.

"Cullen," Temene said softly, sitting down in the pew behind him.

"Your voice now causes me terror," Cullen said quietly, shuddering slightly.

"I am sorry," Temene replied.

"It is my own fault. I should never have, thought about you in that way," he paused.

Temene didn't know what to say and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly but did not remove her hand. She sighed, knowing things would now be different between the two of them. His affection for her had caused him the greatest torments. "May the Maker watch over you always," Temene said quietly, standing up and walking towards the doorway.

"Temene," he called out softly.

She turned back and saw him lower his head, ashamed that he had called out to her. She stood for a moment longer and left, fighting back tears. It warmed her heart to see Alistair smile as she returned to the foyer. "We are all packed up and ready to go. We have rooms at the inn for the night and then we can make our way where ever we want to go next," he said.

She nodded in approval, looking him over. If she could have one templar in her life, she was gladdened that it would be Alistair. He helped her into the boat as they prepared to return to shore. Wynne insisted on coming along, if only to look after Temene until she healed fully. The boat sank heavily with the extra weight, but they made shore and returned to the inn. Cullen barked happily to see Temene return, hopping in circles excitedly. Sten was solemn as ever and Morrigan didn't seem to be enjoying the colorful and tiny crowd that congregated at the inn. 


	19. Prince Alistair the Deboner

The Wardens left the inn first thing in the morning and headed out towards the Imperial Highway. They had decided to go to Redcliffe during the dinner they shared at the inn. It was the next closest location and they did not know where the Dalish elves had settled this time of year. They made slow progress the first day, nearly everyone exhausted from the events in the Tower. They put up camp early and made a large meal in hopes of reviving their pace.

Sten still remained isolated from the group while everyone else ate around the campfire. "What was he doing the whole time we were gone?" Alistair asked quietly.

"He was searching for something he lost apparently," Morrigan replied. "He went out digging with that dirty mutt for hours."

"He is quite strange. I know so little about the Qunari. Perhaps we should have left him in Lothering," Alistair added.

"There were a few Qunari in Orlais," Leliana said. "Mercenaries mostly. They were some of the most powerful fighters I have ever seen. We are lucky to have him at our side."

"If you say so," Alistair shrugged, ladling more food into his bowl.

"Another helping Alistair?" Morrigan chastised him. "Perhaps you would like to lick the bowl after Cullen is through with it?"

"Temene has eaten as much as I have," Alistair said with a mouthful of food. "It is a Grey Warden thing," he added, seeing the slightly hurt look on Temene's face.

"It is strange how easily I was fooled in the Fade," Leliana remarked "I am glad mages have better control. What did you dream about Alistair? I dreamt of being back in the Chantry."

I, don't remember," Alistair lied, avoiding Temene's stare. He didn't want to bring up what he had admitted to her until they were alone.

"It was such a surreal place," Leliana yawned. "Perhaps I should go to bed. I was afraid to sleep last night."

"I think I will go to bed as well," Wynne added. "The past days' events have made me weary."

Alistair and Temene said their goodnights to Wynne and Leliana and were abruptly left alone when Morrigan slipped quietly away without a word. They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the snapping of the wood as it burned. "So, you never mentioned this Cullen," Alistair finally said quietly.

"What is there to tell," Temene looked at him.

"Was he, special to you?" Alistair asked tentatively.

"He was a Templar. That is all he ever could be," Temene replied silently. "But he treated me as an equal and not a prisoner. I shared an affection for his kindness."

"You don't think you two could've ever been together? He seemed quite taken by you."

"I know Templars don't have to be celibate, but I do not think he would ever do something that distracted him from his duties. Besides, he didn't have your remarkable sense of humor."

"Well, I do my best, " Alistair tried to laugh. "You know I lied about not remembering what happened in the Fade," he added nervously, turning his eyes back to the fire.

"I know," Temene replied. "We need not discuss it."

"It's just that, well, it is obvious that I like you. Like, more than like you. I don't want to really marry you right away and live with my sister and forget the Blight and everything, but I feel something," he began to ramble.

"And here I was expecting a proposal," Temene hoped her smile would calm his ramblings. "And you never mentioned a sister."

"Well, half-sister. I was an orphan of sorts. My mother had me out of wedlock and Arl Eamon took pity on me when she died giving birth to me. The Arlessa resented everyone thinking I was Eamon's bastard son, so I was eventually sent to the Chantry. I am not sure what happened to my sister."

"What a terrible thing to do," Temene replied.

"I suppose it was for the best. I am here now, with you."

"There is fortune in that then," Temene grinned, running her hand gently up his arm. "We should probably get to bed so we can get an early start in the morning," she added, seeing him blush slightly at her touch.

They both retired from the fire and returned to their respective tents. Their meal and rest did them good and they made good progress towards Redcliffe the next day. As they neared the long arm of Lake Calenhad that extended to the east, they were able to procure a boat to take them across. Their shortcut saved them two days walking around the lake. They would be able to reach Redcliffe after another long day of walking.

They set up camp again and enjoyed another large meal. "Um, I wanted to say something before we reach Redcliffe," Alistair said as he was nearly finished eating. "I was raised by Arl Eamon for some years before I went to the Chantry. He took care of me, because, because I was King Maric's son."

"I did not know Maric had another heir besides Cailan?" Wynne remarked.

"Um, not many know. I wasn't exactly a planned event. My mother met the king while serving at the royal palace, and well, there I was. I just wanted to mention it because it might come up when we get to Redcliffe. It won't change anything really," Alstair added.

"Does Loghain know of you? If he attempts to take the thrown while a legitimate heir still lives?" Wynne pondered.

"He must have, he was Maric's best friend. I don't know, he obviously doesn't see me as a threat."

The camp was quiet for a moment as everyone considered what had just been said. Temene tried to break up the awkwardness with humor. "Well, Prince Alistair, you certainly win the people over with your cooking," she said, taking another piece of meat from the fire.

"Yes, I will be known throughout the land as Prince Alistair the Deboner," Alistair tried to laugh. He'd thought it better to tell Temene the news in private, but it had come out at dinner instead.

"I thought that is what they called Leliana," Morrigan laughed.

"Hey!" Leliana replied. "I may have been a bard, but I was a respectable one, for the most part."

"That was pretty funny," Temene replied, trying to hold in her laughter.

Leliana frowned slightly and sulked over the rest of her dinner. The party all retired to their tents for the night, but Alistair decided to make a stop at Temene's tent before heading to his. "Temene," he started, kneeling inside the flap of her tent. "I just wanted to apologize for not telling you where I came from sooner. I wasn't trying to deceive you, it's just that," he paused.

"I understand," Temene smiled, pulling off her boots. "Like you said, this doesn't change anything right?"

"Yes, I just wanted to make sure you didn't hate me for it. What you think means a lot to me."

"What if I think you look very handsome in the firelight," she flirted.

"It makes me feel even better," he smiled. "Good night Temene, I will see you in the morning."

Temene was slightly taken aback by his abrupt departure. She'd hoped he'd have stayed a little longer. He looked on her with desire, but he'd yet to initiate something. Temene was not used to such hesitance. Relationships in the Circle Tower moved fast and heavy and usually ended abruptly. She found it slightly strange that he seemed to waver between flirty and cold at times and it made for very confusing thoughts in Temene's head. She unlaced her robes and curled up nude under her blankets. Her lack of small clothes was beginning to be a nuisance as they traveled into the cooler southern air.


	20. Behind the Boathouse

They arrived in Redcliffe early in the morning after their long day of travel. Alistair noted that the village road seemed particularly empty, usually packed with traders, woodcutters, and hunters. "Hey, hey what are you doing?" A man called from high as they neared the edge of the village.

"What is going on? The village looks nearly deserted from here," Alistair remarked, seeing the town below devoid of much movement.

"We've been attacked for the past few nights by horrible apparitions. The dead walk and have slaughtered hundreds," the man replied, coming down the hill slowly.

"Walking corpses?" Temene wondered. "It seems there is magic afoul here as well. When did this all start?"

"The Arl got sick a few weeks ago, then these things started coming out of the castle at night. The Arlessa sent all the knights away to look for a cure. She left us to be slaughtered," the man recalled frantically.

"The Arl is ill? What plagues him?" Alistair asked.

"No one knows. Someone said they saw a mage up there, but no one has been heard from the castle in days. You should speak with Teagan. He wanted anyone coming into town to go directly to him. He is in the Chantry."

"Teagan is the arl's brother, he should be able to tell us what is going on," Alistair replied.

They headed down into the village which was shut up tightly. The smell of blood and death lingered in the air. They found Teagan coordinating supplies and medical aid inside the Chantry. He almost didn't recognize Alistair, as it had been years since Alistair had left Redcliffe. Teagan had just returned from Denerim where he informed the party that Loghain had declared himself regent. He knew little about what had transpired in the castle or the cause of Eamon's illness.

He seemed heavily distracted, trying to prepare for the night's inevitable assault by the walking corpses. The party promised to help with the assault and helped make preparations for the upcoming fight. At dusk, the group paired up and took positions of watch, ready to signal the small militia.

Alistair and Temene stood watch atop the shipwright's trellis that overlooked the village. The sun was only a small slit on the far side of the lake as they climbed to the top. "I wonder how they get the boats from here, all the way to the lake," Alistair remarked in the growing cold.

"Brute strength I suppose," Temene replied, shivering slightly.

"Are you cold?" Alistair asked.

"I will be fine," Temene replied, crossing her arms against her breasts. The cold air crept under her robes, worsened by the fact that she still hadn't acquired another pair of small clothes.

"No, look, you are shivering," he replied, rubbing his hands along her shoulders to warm her. "Let me run down and find you a coat."

"I am fine. I just need to find some, small clothes," she paused. "The darkspawn are probably sorting through all I left at Ostagar."

"Oh, oh I see," Alistair blushed, taking his hands off her. "You should have said something. We could have stopped at Fancy Pants and Things along the way."

"It is quite freeing actually, besides having a frozen bottom," Temene smiled.

"Well, I will only rub that if you ask me to," Alistair joked.

"And if I asked you to?" Temene challenged him.

"Um, uh," Alistair stuttered. "I'd give you best damn bottom rubbing you've ever had!" he laughed.

"Really?" Temene raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"Okay," Alistair laughed, feeling suddenly more warm over his entire body. "You've called my bluff."

Temene said nothing, but felt slightly hurt at his rejection. She wrapped her arms around her chest tighter and walked towards the edge of the thick wooden scaffolding. Alistair frowned, knowing he had put an abrupt end to their flirtation. "Temene, I don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything," he began finally, breaking the silence that lingered in the air. "I adore you, immensely. We've been through a lot in the short time we've known each other."

He paused for a moment, embarrassed to utter the words he needed to say. "It is just that I have, never been with a woman," he paused again. "I don't know exactly how to proceed with things."

"You are a virgin?" Temene asked with slight surprise, though it seemed to make perfect sense with his fumbling, however.

"Um yes," Alistair said, his face flushing. "It isn't that I've never considered it, I just never had the opportunity I suppose. And I have never felt like this before," he continued.

"So this is why you have been such a buffoon," Temene laughed with a sense of relief. She returned to his side, relaxing her arms around her chest.

"Yes, my laughter keeps me from ravishing you," he sighed nervously.

"We will save the ravishing for later then," Temene smiled, taking his hand.

"Your hands are like ice," Alistair replied, wrapping his arms around her lightly. "You will be no good fighting darkspawn as a block of ice," he looked down on her with a smile.

"Alistair, we will take things as slow as you want them," she said, reaching up to caress his face.

"Would kissing you right now be considered moving slow?" he smiled, looking into her eyes.

"I'd think you were a cad and slap you across the face," Temene smiled, bringing her face closer to his.

Alistair leaned in a gave her a short kiss, filling her body with warmth temporarily. "And now that we are thoroughly distracted, the corpses will strike," Alistair sighed, looking into her eyes with admiration.

"Let them come," Temene grinned excitedly. "I could fight the entire darkspawn army right about now."  
> <p>


	21. Old Friends and Enemies

The Wardens did not have to wait long for the walking corpses to appear. As Alistair continued to hold Temene for warmth, a creeping mist appeared from the castle gates. "I am guessing those would be our walking corpses," Alistair said. "We should signal the others."

Temene let a small fireball burst from her hand, signaling that the attack had begun. They rushed down for the shipwright's trellis and prepared to make their stand with the militia. A trap made of burning oil did little to slow the corpses down since they had little flesh remaining on their bones. They attacked viciously, wave after wave until the first hints of morning appeared in the sky. It was a difficult fight from sheer amount, the corpses fought clumsily and were easily broken.

Many men in the militia had fallen nonetheless, but the village remained safe for another day. Teagan made plans to head towards the castle when the sun rose. The Wardens rested and tended to the wounded as best they could. There was a slight uproar near the edge of the village as a young woman ran through, desperately looking for Bann Teagan. Some of the villagers quietly mumbled about the Arlessa that had left them to die. "Teagan, there you are, finally!" Isolde said with a heavy Orlesian accent.

"Isolde?" Teagan answered. "How did you manage to escape the castle?"

"I saw the battle was over and slipped away to find you. You must come with me," Isolde begged.

"It isn't wise to go alone. We should all go to the castle and find the cause of this evil," Temene interrupted.

"Excuse me, I was not speaking to you," Isolde replied rudely.

"Isolde, please. These Grey Wardens came to help," Teagan responded.

"What do I care about Grey Wardens? I need you to return to castle with me now!"

"Without them I would be dead. Do you not recognize Alistair," Teagan added, motioning towards Alistair, who stood at Temene's side.

Isolde only gave Alistair a parting glance and nod of recognition. "We do not have much time," she replied, taking Teagan by the hand.

"We need to know what is happening in there," Temene raised her voice, angry at the Arlessa's ungratefulness. "These corpses are the work of magic and the villagers say a mage was at the castle? What has happened?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Isolde shot back before Teagan gave her an angry glance. She cowed before him and quieted down slightly. "There, there is a mage in the palace and he is the cause of all of this. Eamon's illness, the corpses. I was just trying to protect my son."  
>"Protect him from what?" Temene asked.<p>

"He had magic. I did not want him to be sent away to the Tower so I, I hired an apostate mage to teach him to hide his abilities."

"You let an apostate mage teach your son magic?" Alistair replied in shock.

"I didn't want him to teach him anything, just to hide it," Isolde whined.

"How did you find this mage?" Temene wondered.

"He just showed up one day and offered his services."

"And you didn't find that the least bit suspicious? Or think of reporting him the Chantry?" Temene shook her head.

"I wanted him to help Connor. Please Teagan, you must return with me now. We cannot delay any further."

"Very well," Teagan sighed and looked at Temene slyly. "I just need to speak with the Wardens for a moment. Wait for me at the gates."

Isolde frowned but left Teagan to speak with the Wardens. As soon as she was out of earshot Temene quickly replied, "I don't think this is a good idea."

"I know not of Isolde's insistence to bring me to the castle but I have a plan," Teagan said. "There is an escape tunnel in the mill that leads directly to the castle. You can enter that way and try to see what is going on. I will tend to Isolde for the moment and do my own investigation."

"I agree with Temene, I don't think you should go," Alistair added. "Why wouldn't she want as many people as possible to return to the castle with her?"

"I do not know, but I must obey her wishes," Teagan replied. "Use the tunnels to enter the castle and meet me inside."

Teagan left them and joined Isolde at the castle gates, which they disappeared into. "At least she was grateful for us saving her village," Temene rolled her eyes sarcastically. "This maleficar must have opened a void in the Fade. There is no other way for the dead to rise."

"Let's get going then and put an end to this," Alistair replied.

They headed up to the mill that sat above the village and found the trap door that concealed the tunnels. It was dark inside and they needed a torch to guide them through. The tunnels looked disused and were full of cobwebs. They reached a stone wall that was barricaded by a heavy door. It took a hard shoulder to open, but Alistair managed, rubbing his arm afterwards.

The door opened up into a dusty dungeon that appeared deserted. Most of the metal doors rusting and a slow drip of water formed a puddle nearby. A voice called out to them after their loud entrance. "Hello, is anyone there?" the voice called.

"Jowan?" Temene narrowed her eyes, looking into the dark cell. She recognized his plaintive tone right away.

"Temene, what are you doing here?" Jowan asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, but I remember well what happened in the Tower," Temene shook her head. "How could you have done such horrible things and what have you done here?'

"You know him?" Alistair asked.

"He is a blood mage and a liar," Temene replied angrily.

"I am not the only liar in the room Temene," Jowan shot back. "You said you were going to help Lily and I, and you led us right into the Templar's trap!"

"I was trying to help you Jowan," Temene responded angrily. "You would never have escaped on your own and when the Templars caught you, you would have been executed. I was trying to give you the option of life and tranquility. You do not deserve the gift of magic."

"I would rather be dead than Tranquil."

"Why did you come here? Why did you seek out the Arlessa?" Alistair interrupted.

"Who are you?" Jowan asked angrily.

"He is a Grey Warden as well," Temene responded. "Answer his question."

"I was caught trying to sneak into Denerim, I had an old friend there. Teryn Loghain heard about my apprehension and offered me a deal. My freedom for," Jowan paused for a moment. "For poisoning the Arl."

"And again you sacrifice others to save your own skin, you are worse than the darkspawn," Temene spat back.

"I thought I was doing Ferelden a service. Loghain said the country would be stronger with the Arl out of the way."

"Oh, you foolish boy," Wynne finally protested.

"I don't need a lecture from you Grandma!" Jowan replied angrily.

"And the corpses? Why did you summon the corpses?" Temene asked.

"No, the corpses were not of my doing. I do not know where they came from," Jowan replied. "Please, if you let me out of here I can help."

"We can manage on our own," Temene replied.

"So you're just going to leave me here?"

"For now," Temene replied, heading for the door.

She couldn't believe Jowan had made such a gigantic mess again. She wondered how he had gone so far from the boy she grew up studying with. She remained angry as they made their way upstairs, demons and corpses guarding the way. She knew he must have been lying about summoning the corpses and demons, but did not understand for what purpose. She would feel a sense of relief handing him over to the Templars. She knew he deserved Tranquility more than death. 


	22. Tired of Lies

The Wardens continued their way up through Redcliffe Castle, hoping to find the source of the walking corpses and demons that stalked the halls. Temene was still angry that Jowan was involved in this mess. She took her anger out on the demons and corpses as they searched the basements of the castle. They eventually reached the front courtyard and planned to enter the main hall of the castle but a powerful Revenant stood in their way.

Men had come to the castle gates looking for answers and Temene let them in to help with the fight. She and Alistair tried their best to dispel the Revenant's powerful magic while the others hacked at its thick armor. Their sustained efforts took the monster down easily. They entered the main hall together, cautious of what the might find inside. They were surprised when the heard only giggling.

In the main hall, Teagan danced around as a young boy watched him with glee. Isolde stood at his side with a somber look on her face. "What in Andraste's grace is going on in here?" Alistair asked, as Teagan began to tumble round on the floor.

"Are these the intruders you told me about mother?" the young child replied in a demonic voice. "You didn't tell me one was an elf. Can I cut her ears off too?"

"Connor please," Isolde frowned.

"That is not your son," Temene replied. "It is a demon."

"And here fairly," the demon inside Connor replied. "We made a deal. I have kept his father alive and now we get to play forever."

"I won't let that happen," Temene said taking a step forward.

"No, you can't hurt him," Isolde pleaded.

"My lady, most of what was once your son is gone," Wynne interrupted with sincerity.

"You won't touch me!" Connor yelled, manifesting a large group of corpses before taking off down the hall.

It was hard fighting the corpses in such an enclosed space but the number of defenders allowed the corpses to fall easily. "What do we do now?" Leliana asked, pulling her dagger from a corpse's chest.

"We have to go after the child. He is an abomination. There isn't much we can do," Temene responded.

"No, you can't kill him. I won't let you," Isolde begged. "This isn't his fault, it is the mage's. I will kill him!"

"Jowan said he had nothing to do with this and as much as it pains me, I believe him," Temene replied. "This is clearly the work of the demon inside your son."

"But how, how could my son have done this?" Isolde wondered.

"Perhaps we should ask Jowan exactly he taught Connor," Wynne suggested.

Temene agreed and ordered one of the guards to bring Jowan from the dungeon. As soon as they guards brought him in, Isolde went after him. "You bastard," she screamed, beating him with her fist.

"It isn't enough that you've tortured me, you've brought here to beat me in front of others," Jowan whined, holding his arms up to protect himself.

"You deserved all of it," Isolde spat on him. Temene pushed Isolde back with a forceful hand.

"You will not be struck again while I am here," Temene reassured Jowan. "Tell us what you taught Connor, could he have summoned a demon?"

"I only taught him a few repression spells, things to keep his magic hidden as the Arlessa requested. If a demon came to him in the Fade though, there was little I could do," Jowan answered.

"And there is no way to remove a demon that has possessed someone, so there is only one option to proceed with."

"I once read a book that spoke about blood magic being used to enter the Fade instead of lyrium, and it doesn't require as many mages."

"Blood magic, you can't be serious?" Alistair protested.

"Could this save Connor?" Isolde asked.

"If a mage were to enter the Fade and defeat the demon, Connor would be freed. But it would require a lot of blood. All of it in fact," Jowan replied.

"No, we aren't going to use blood magic," Alistair protested again. "There has to be another way."

"Without several more mages and a lot of lyrium, there is no other way," Wynne replied. "Though I do not agree with it as an option."

"It would take us many days to return to the Circle Tower and back and there are so few mages left," Temene frowned. "And I do not think the village would survive any more attacks from the corpses either."

"We can't really be thinking about doing this?" Alistair looked at her.

"Alistair, you know what you would do if you were a Templar, what choice do we have? We must kill the child.

"No,I will do it," Isolde said. "I will sacrifice myself to save my son."

"No, Isolde, you can't" Teagan protested, finally out of the trance the demon had placed him in.

"There is no one else and I am to blame for all of this. I knew magic ran in my family, I didn't want to believe it," she replied, her voice cracking slightly. "Please Jowan, perform the ritual."

The group was silent as they contemplated both dire options. No one was happy with either choice but Isolde was determined to save her son's life. Alistair and Wynne left the room out of slight protest as Jowan prepared for the ritual. Isolde sat on her husband's throne, deep in prayer until he was ready to begin. Temene couldn't watch the blood being spilled and closed her eyes, preparing to enter the Fade again. She felt the warm blood hit her face and nearly wretched as it began to burn into her skin. The searing pain caused her to fall unconscious quickly. 


	23. Temene's Temptation

Temene woke up still on the floor, cold and alone in the large throne room. She wondered why she was still in Redcliffe Castle and called out. "Hello?" she yelled, hearing only her voice echo through the stone halls. "Of course you screwed this up Jowan," she mumbled to herself as she stood up.

She searched the halls but found the castle devoid of any presence. She finally heard a loud banging on the doors of the main hall and ran back to open them. She was shocked to find Cullen behind them, gasping for breath. "What are you doing here?' she asked as he came inside, his brow damp with sweat.

"I came to find you," he replied between breaths.

"Did you run the entire way?" Temene laughed slightly, seeing him so wasted of breath. "Come here, sit down," she motioned for him to take a seat on Eamon's throne. He sat on the steps instead, his heavy armor clanging against the stone.

"I had to get to you right away," he smiled. grabbing her hand as he sat down. "Come, sit next to me for a moment, I have something to give you."

"You came all this way to bring me a present?" she asked, sitting down at his side.

"Close your eyes," he smiled.

She closed her eyes, anticipating him dropping another one of his small gifts into her hand. Instead, he leaned over and kissed her deeply, letting his tongue float into her mouth. She was lost in a moment as he kissed her then suddenly wondered how he had found her and why he was acting so bold.

"This isn't like you at all. How did you know I was here?" she pulled away for a moment, nearly out of breath from his long kiss.

"Someone at the inn told me," Cullen replied. "You are not happy to see me?"

"No, it is just that," Temene paused. "The way I left. It seemed like you never wanted to see me again."

"I realized I couldn't live without you," he replied, slipping his hands around her waist. "I am going to leave the Order so we can be together. I never liked being a Templar anyway."

He grinned happily at her and his sincerity warmed her heart. Her head told her that things were right, however.

"But, you once told me it was all that mattered in your life," Temene replied. "And Greagoir wouldn't just let you leave like that."

"You are all that matters to me Temene," he added, leaning down to kiss her again. "I love you," he pulled away only long enough to utter those words. He pressed her down towards the floor, climbing on top of her. "I want you," he sighed, barely taking his lips from her.

"What? Right here?" Temene wondered as she kneeled on top of him. "Have you gone mad?"

"We could find a bed if it suits you," he shifted his weight. "But there is nothing more that I want at this moment."

He slipped his hand up her robe and began to caress her gently. His hands sent chills down her spine but she knew this that had be a dream. There was no reason why everyone else had disappeared and that Cullen had suddenly shown up. "No, this is a trick," Temene said, pushing him away.

"I would never do such a thing to you," Cullen smiled, kissing her again and letting the full weight of his armor down on her.

"No, this isn't like you at all," she pushed him away violently and crawled to her knees.

He laughed with his head lowered, wiping his hand across his mouth. "I will be anything you want me to be," he replied in Alistair's voice. "Whatever you want my lady, I am here to serve you," Alistair said, kneeling down in Cullen's Templar armor.

"No," Temene replied with a hardened look on her face.

"Tell me what you want," Alistair pleaded seductively.

Temene felt enraged, fooled for a moment by the love she had for both men. She wanted things to be true, to give into the dream, but she knew it would be folly. Temene looked at Alistair's pleading face and walked towards him. She let her hand drift into his hair as he looked up at her with adoring eyes. "Tell me," he smiled again.

She bent down to kiss him but instead grabbed the dagger at his waist and plunged it into his neck. "I want you to leave me in peace demon," she added, as Alistair fell back with hurtful eyes. The dream began fading around him as the real landscape of the Fade appeared. The desire demon portraying him emerged with a smile on her face.

"Uh, you humans are usually so easy," she purred in a seductive tone. "You have so many desires and wants in your head, we only have to choose one."

"You play on the most precious thing in the world. And you've begun targeting children, how pathetic," Temene replied vehemently.

"It is an act of love, believe me. You would prefer to pine over a loveless Templar and one who is so afraid to touch you?" the demon sneered slightly. "I could give you Alistair, fully trained, fully capable of fulfilling every desire."

"I will take care of Alistair," Temene replied. "Now release the child."

"No, we had a deal. Fair is fair."

"Demons have no concept of fairness," Temene replied, shocking the demon violently.

The demon did not go down without a fight, summoning the souls of her dead lovers to fight for her. Temene's recent forays into the Fade gave her the advantage and knew just how to defeat her. She still remained in the Fade after defeating the demon and feared for a moment that Jowan had trapped her inside forever. She looked down again at Alistair's doppelganger, the blood still flowing from his neck and cried for a moment. Her love for him had nearly been the end of her. 


	24. Fallen and Saved

Temene finally awoke from the Fade, Alistair kneeling over her once again. His face was relieved as she opened her eyes. "You came back," Temene asked, glad he had returned after so much protest at performing the ritual.

"I wanted to be here, in case you became possessed as well," Alistair replied, turning his eyes away from her blood-stained face.

"The Desire Demon is dead. Connor should be free from possession," Temene spoke to Teagan as she sat up.

"I will check on him at once," Teagan replied, heading off in the direction where the boy had run. Wynne followed after him, giving Temene a slight look of relief.

There was only a large stain of blood on the floor where Isolde had fallen. The guards had already taken her body out of the room. Jowan sat quietly in the corner by himself, staring down at his own feet. "What will happen to me now?" he asked, looking up at Temene.

"You may have helped us save Connor, but you still poisoned the Arl, and you are still a blood mage," Temene replied. "I can think of only two solutions, return to the Circle tower and hope to be made Tranquil or expect execution."

"Death or Tranquilty," Jowan frowned. "Do you know what happened to Lily?" he added after a long pause.

"She was sent to Aeonar," Temene replied.

"She must hate me," he lowered his head. "I was so afraid of losing what I felt for her if I became Tranquil. I have lost everything. It doesn't matter if I am alive or dead now."

"At least you could serve a purpose as a Tranquil."

"Maybe you are right. Or the Templars will just execute me. I deserve either fate. I am not as strong as you. You have face many demons and never fallen."

Temene walked away without another word, afraid she would admit how close she had been to ruin in the Fade. She wanted to get out of the castle and away from everyone she knew. She wandered through the village for a while, not caring that everyone was staring at her bloodstained robes. She found her way to the edge of the dock and stared down into the dark water of the lake. She'd once heard a mage say that is was dangerous to love anyone. Templars used love against mages, demons used love against mages.

Her own hazy reflection was stained with blood because a mother loved her child too much. Temene could stand to have the blood on her no longer and jumped into the lake without thinking. She didn't know how to swim. and sunk immediately. She didn't sink deep, but the freezing cold water sent her body in a panic. She gasped for breath involuntarily, swallowing a mouthful of water. She flailed her arms and legs wildly, trying to get to the surface. Luckily Alistair had come looking for her, worried about the deathly pallor on her face as she'd left. He reached down from the dock to pull her up.

He pulled her back onto the dock as she coughed violently, trying to clear her lungs of water. She looked ghastly, her skin stark white. Her hair had unloosened from their braids and clung in a tangle around her wet robes. "What in the world were you doing?" he asked, moving strands of wet hair from her face.

"I needed to wash the blood off, but I didn't know the water was so cold," Temene said weakly.

"But they don't teach mages to swim," Alistair laughed slightly. "It is too much of a risk. Come on, we've got to get you some place warm. You are going to catch your death in these frozen clothes," he added, picking her up.

He carried her back to the castle and set her down near a fire in one of the bedrooms. He left while she pulled off her wet robes and sat with a blanket wrapped around her nude body. He returned with a pile of clothes and sat down next to her.

"I took the liberty of asking one of the maids make you some new small clothes. They should be ready tomorrow," he said.

"Thank you Alistair," she smiled at him.

"Hey, everyone needs small clothes," he joked.

"You saved my life."

"I would never do otherwise," he replied. "What happened down there?"

Temene was silent for a moment. She didn't know how to explain what had happened. "I was just lost for a moment, I suppose," she said finally. "I have lived such a boring and simple life. All of this is too much."

"I know it has been rough. But I know what a strong person you are, you can get through this," he replied.

"I don't know if I can," she said, her voice catching in her throat. "I, almost fell in the Fade. The Desire Demon, she knew just what I've always wanted. I just wanted to have, to be happy with someone, to love someone."

"Everyone wants that Temene. You remember what happened when I was in the Fade. I did give in. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be sitting happily eating stew, lost in that dream forever."

"But you would be happy."

"I am happy, here, with you," he replied, brushing another strand of hair out of her face. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look with your hair down?"

"Alistair," she sighed, closing her eyes and gripping his hand tightly. "I am so afraid," she added weakly, a tear falling from her cheek.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he said, taking her in his arms. "We'll fight this thing together."

She turned her head up and began kissing him softly. He returned her kisses and pulled her closer, causing the blanket fall off her shoulders. "Oh, well, let's just put that back up here," Alistair blushed, glancing down at her bare breasts. He grabbed the blanket to cover her nudity.

"You have seen a naked woman before, right," Temene grinned, wrapping the blanket around her breasts.

"Yes, um, in paintings, and once at this party a woman was so drunk she just," he paused and did not want to continue the story. "Well, I'll just get out of your hair then, and maybe go jump in that lake. Those things will be burned into my mind forever, in a good way of course."

"No, will you stay?" she grabbed his hand. "We don't have to, do, anything. And I will get dressed. I just don't want to be alone at the moment."

"Um, of course. I will go get us dinner or something," he replied, climbing to his feet.

"Can you bring back something for Cullen as well?" Temene asked, seeing the dog hiding under the bed.

Alistair left to see about dinner and Temene sorted through some of the clothes. They were all too long as usual, but she had to make due for now. She put on a simple petticoat and and sleeveless robe over it. Cullen came out from under the bed and greeted her happily. His breath reeked and she wondered what he had been doing under the bed. She glanced under and caught a whiff of dead game. "What did you drag in here?" Temene asked, not wanting to look under the bed again.

Alistair returned with dinner, wondering about Temene's disgusted look. "I think Cullen has already eaten, and left the remains under the bed," Temene frowned.

Alistair peeked his head under and retrieved the nasty piece of carcass from under the bed. "Don't look, it is rather disgusting," he held the carcass aloft gingerly. "I think it used to be a rabbit."

"I hope that wasn't somebody's pet," Temene scolded the dog.

"Well, I've lost my appetite," Alistair added. "I'll just take this outside and come back."

Cullen looked at Temene with a sad expression, wondering why the gift he'd left his master wasn't so well received. Temene couldn't stay mad at the dog and patted him gently on the head. "Next time, leave it with Morrigan," Temene spoke to the dog. He barked happily and followed Alistair outside.


	25. Incognito

Alistair returned after disposing of the dead carcass, Cullen following closely at his heels. "I think he is jealous of me," Alistair said, sitting down across from Temene at the small table. Despite claiming to have lost his appetite, he still began to eat.

"I suppose I have been paying you more attention," Temene smiled.

"And why not, I am much more handsome, and charming too," Alistair laughed.

"You're just as handsome," Temene praised the dog. "And more apt to cleanliness."

"Hey, just because I don't bathe myself with my own tongue," Alistair protested. He looked at her for a long moment and continued. "All joking aside, what are we going to do now?"

"Can anything really be done for Eamon?" she asked.

"Wynne said that no amount of healing magic will allow him to recover. The Urn of Sacred Ashes may be our only hope."

"Or some foolish quest that amounts to nothing. Do we know anything about this scholar's research?"

"Teagan said he looked in at Genitivi's home, but he was away. Perhaps we would have better luck."

"Going to Denerim would be dangerous. If Loghain has set some sort of trap," she pondered. "We certainly draw enough attention to ourselves with a giant, witch and two dwarves following us around."

"We would have to go ourselves, in disguise or something," Alistair suggested.

"I could probably pass for a elf from the alienage with the right clothes, but you," Temene looked him over. "You do bear a striking resemblance to Cailan. Loghain may have more posters in Denerim. Someone would surely recognize you."

"What about Templar armor. It would cover my face and I could pass easily through the city?"

"You still have your armor?" she eyed him curiously.

"I could never let something so fashionable go," Alistair joked. "I am sure I could find some somewhere."

They made plans to leave for Denerim in the morning. They talked for a while longer before Alistair excused himself. He left her with another kiss that left her wanting more. In the morning, Alistair managed to beg a set of armor from Mother Hannah and Temene took some old clothes and tore them to look well worn.

It took them several days to reach the outskirts of the city. The rest of the group camped in a secluded clearing while Alistair and Temene headed towards the city gates on foot in their disguises. Temene couldn't help but stare at Alistair in his templar armor. "What?" Alistair finally asked.

"It suits you," she smiled at him. "You would have made a fine templar."

"Maybe they would have sent me to the Circle Tower and I could've met you there," he smiled. "I would have fallen in love with you and we would have run away together."

"That would have been a fine plan," she replied, reaching up to kiss him.

She knew the armor appealed to her because of its forbiddeness but she liked the idea of finally breaking the rules. They stayed in the road, kissing for a moment longer until they heard a wagon coming. They pulled away and continued walking. The wagon slowed as it passed, offering them a ride into the city. The overburdened wagon was full of refugees fleeing the darkspawn.

The other humans eyes Temene suspiciously, as she appeared to be the dangerous charge of the templar that accompanied her. As they entered the city gates, she became aware of the disdainful stares she drew there as well. People in the crowded market had no qualms about shoving her aside to get to where they needed to go. She could hear the cruel words being whispered about her as she walked behind Alistair. They finally found Genitivi's home, as Temene was nearly in tears.

"Are you alright?" Alistair asked, peeking under her hood. He could see she was visibly upset and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that."

"Let's just go inside and get out of here," she sulked, realizing it probably looked suspicious that a templar was hugging an elf.

They knocked on Genitivi's door and were begrudgingly welcomed in by his young assistant, Weylon. The assistant again claimed that the brother was not at home. When they questioned him about the brother's research, he was vague and dismissive. Temene caught something in the air, covered by the overwhelming smell from several vases of bright red flowers. The hidden smell seemed to be coming from the back room and Temene inquired about the brother's study. "Perhaps he left a journal or notes of some kind," Temene said, eyeing the back room.

"No, there is nothing of the sort. He kept all his notes in his head," Weylon replied nervously.

"Are you feeling well, perhaps you should lie down?" Temene asked, as the young man continued to sweat heavily.

"Yes, fine," Weylon replied quickly. "I am sorry I cannot help you, so perhaps you should leave."

"You don't have to be rude, we are only trying to help," Alistair replied. "We have come a long way for any information. There must be something you can give us."

"Well, perhaps there is something," Weylon finally sighed and turned towards the back room.

As he left, Temene whispered to Alistair. "Something doesn't feel right here. I can smell something foul in the air, but it is being masked by the flowers."

"He is acting rather nervously as well," Alistair replied.

Temene approached the back room and peeked inside as Weylon was searching for something in a desk. There were many books and journals lining the walls of the bedroom. "I thought you said the brother kept no notes?" Temene asked.

Weylon turned back with a frightened look on his face and a dagger in his hand. "What are you doing?" she asked, as he lunged at her.

She shocked the blade from his hand but he continued to rush her, wrapping his hands around her neck. "Alistair!" Temene croaked as Weylon continued to strangle her, holding her against the wall violently. Alistair grabbed at Weylon but he refused to release Temene from his grip. Alistair finally put Weylon in a head lock and Weylon eventually slumped to the ground.

"I think I killed him," Alistair looked down at the body. Temene coughed for air and grabbed at her throat. "By the Maker, he nearly killed you," Alistair added, examining her neck.

"He had a dagger," Temene breathed hard. "I think he intended to kill us both. Just as he did to this poor man," she added, pointing towards the corpse wrapped in blankets across the room.

The smell of decomposition clung heavy in the room, the flowers doing little to cover the smell. They quickly searched through the books and found Genitivi's notes. They left the house quickly, leaving the two bodies inside. Alistair left the door slightly ajar, hoping someone would come by to investigate. They hurried out of the city and returned to camp as the sun was beginning to set. They searched through the scholar's notes by firelight, hoping to find any information about the Ashes.  
> <p>


	26. Assassins Must Die

It was a task to go through all of Genitivi's notes. The brother saw himself as quite the writer and tended to ramble on for quite a while. The party decided to head back towards Redcliffe, hoping to get as far from Denerim as possible. Temene sat in the back of Bodahn's wagon as they went along, trying to find any information that would lead them to the Urn.

As they neared Redcliffe, the party was stopped on the road by a couple of travelers. They claimed their wagon had been attacked and asked for assistance. As the Wardens climbed down the ridge to help, it became abundantly clear that they'd walked into an ambush. A small band of mercenaries stood waiting for them behind an overturned wagon, led by a lanky elf.

"It's definitely them Zevran," the female traveler replied, sticking her dagger against Temene's back.

"Can't we go anywhere without trouble," Alistair sighed, trying to make light of their dire situation.

"No, it seems the whole world has forgotten about the Blight," Temene replied, knocking down the attackers behind them with a powerful force of energy. There were five archers above them, the elven assassin in front of them, and the two travelers behind them. A quick fire ball took care of the most of the archers as Alistair dealt with the men surrounding them. The elf, Zevran was quick and nimble and it took a lot of effort to get close enough to swing at him.

One of the archers caught Temene in the side with an arrow. It only grazed her skin, but caused her a bit of pain. Alistair finally knocked Zevran down but he was still breathing. "We need to find out who sent him," Alistair said, staring at the unconscious elf.

"Tie him up, he will tell us what he knows," Temene replied.

They roused the elf and began to question him. He told them outright that Loghain had hired him to kill them. He gave no other reason why. He seemed more concerned about saving his own skin, attempting to work out an arrangement between the Wardens. "You just tried to kill us," Temene replied.

"But it was only for money. It was nothing personal," Zevran added.

"And what is stopping you for killing us in our sleep and collecting on the contract," Alistair asked.

"Absolutely nothing," Zevran smiled.

"At least he is honest," Temene shook her head. She took her dagger from her belt.

"He is a risk to keep alive," Alistair looked tentatively at the bloodied elf.

"I can leave you here to die from your wounds or I can end it quickly," Temene asked.

"Can't we go with a third option," Zevran winced. Temene's hardened look said no, so he added "quickly then."

Temene thrust the dagger quickly into his throat. "If he hadn't tried to kill us, I might have liked him," she remarked, holding her side.

"Let's get back to the wagon and I will take a look at that," Alistair motioned.

"It is fine," Temene winced. "Nothing a little healing magic can't cure."

She climbed back up into the wagon and laid her hand on the wound. It closed through her magic but would still be tender for a few days. She returned to the scholar's notes but took a rest and let Alistair look through the book. He woke her as they stopped to make camp for the night. "Here, I found something," he said, holding the book towards her. "This page mentions something about a village named Haven."

"Haven? I have never heard of it," Temene replied sleepy-eyed.

"It says here that it is a small village west of Lake Calenhad, at the base of a large mountain," Alistair continued. "There aren't too many big mountains in the west, it might be easy to find."

"Perhaps you are right," Temene yawned. "Traders in the area might know of it."

"So, we'll head there then," he added, helping her out of the wagon.

Temene nodded and pulled her tent from the wagon and began to set it up. She was revived from her nap and knew she wouldn't be able to sleep for a while. She attended to dinner and remained at the fire when the rest of the camp went to bed. She could her Alistair sleeping restlessly in his tent and wondered what troubled him. 


	27. First Knight

Alistair finally climbed out of his tent and joined Temene at the fire. He said nothing for a while and then finally said quietly, "I can't sleep, I was thinking of things."

"I heard you tossing and turning in there," Temene smiled. "Hopefully we can find this village and Genitivi can lead us to the Ashes."

"No, I wasn't thinking about that, I was thinking, about us," he paused. "It seems like we keep walking into near death situations and I," he paused again. "If we die, if we can't end the Blight, I at least want to. Um, oh Maker, this sounded better when I was practicing it in the tent," he said to himself.

Temene sat quietly with a smile on her face, waiting for him to continue. "I just wanted to know if you would like to, spend the night with me. We don't have to right away, but I don't want have any regrets anymore. I thought it might be better to wait until the end of the Blight, but that may never happen," his voice finally softened from the nervous tone he had started out with.

Temene remained quiet for a moment, unable to hide the smile on her face. "Well, after a speech like that," she paused. "How could I say no."

She heard Alistair let out a slight sigh and saw his posture relax in the firelight. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it. "Come on," she smiled, standing up.

"Right now?" he looked up at her.

"If we die tomorrow, you will have no regrets," she smiled, pulling on his hand.

She led him towards her tent, Cullen following closely behind. "Stay out here," she said to the dog as she pulled the tent flap aside.

She crawled in, letting go of Alistair's hand to steady herself on her hands and knees. She sat down with her feet under her and waited for Alistair to come in. He sat down far from her, rubbing his hands together nervously. "You are going to have to come closer," she smiled, sliding off her boots.

"Right," Alistair laughed slighted and scooted closer.

Temene loosened her robe and slipped it off her shoulders, her light underclothes still below. "Um, should I undress," Alistiar asked tentatively.

"I can do that," Temene smiled, sliding her hand along his thigh. She carefully slipped his light shirt over his head and ran her hands down his smooth chest. He was well built from years of handling a shield and sword. She could feel his skin rising as she touched him, so she leaned over to kiss him. He kissed her a little bit more passionately, but his hands remained at his side.

"I want you to touch me," she said quietly, moving her lips from his for a moment.

His hand slid up her arm slowly and with hesitation, but he put his other hand boldly on her thigh. His hands were surprisingly soft, a testament to grooming habits he'd gained in the Chantry. Temene moved her lips to his neck and began kissing it slowly as she unlaced the linen corset she wore underneath her robes. She slipped the corset over her head, taking Alistair's hand and placing on her breasts softly. He touched them with the greatest of care and slowly let his mouth wander to them.

Temene tried to wrestle her robes and the rest of her small clothes off without moving much, as Alistair seemed to be enjoying her bosom greatly. She slipped her hand softly around his groin area to make sure they were making progress and found him already fully aroused. She moved over a bit and instructed him to lie on his back as she began to slide his light trousers and boots off. She quickly unloosened her hair as she lovingly stroked his body.

She kissed around his legs and sex for a moment before straddling him. He let out a soft moan as she climbed onto him. She took his hands again and gripped them tightly. She leaned down to kiss him, her long hair tickling his body. When she felt he was ready, she rolled over and motioned for him to climb on top of her. He was hesitant and gentle at first, but eventually caught onto the rhythm of her body underneath him. He quietly asked for instruction and she guided them both to climax. Alistair's loud cries caused Cullen to begin barking. "Quiet!" Temene yelled to the dog, giggling under Alistair's heavy breaths.

"I'm sorry," Alistair smiled, kissing her softly, with warm breaths in between. "I, there are no words."

"The pillow is usually helpful for that sort of thing," Temene smiled, kissing him back passionately. "And it only gets better from here," she added.

"Now I will never leave your side," Alistair smiled, sliding down to rest his head on her breasts, which he kissed softly.

Temene let her fingers intwine themselves in his soft hair and began stroking his scalp. She could feel his breath slow and knew he was falling asleep. She folded the blankets underneath them over his body as best she could and closed her eyes. She was slightly uncomfortable with Alistair laying between her legs, but she didn't want to rouse him. He stirred for a moment and she took the opportunity to side down next to him. They remained buried in the furs together until morning. 


	28. Storms and Travel

Temene woke up late in the morning, Alistair still sleeping peacefully beside her. He had rolled over onto her arm in the night and she woke with it quite numb. As she tried to slide it out from under him, he awoke, looking at her with loving eyes. "I have never woken up to such beauty," he smiled, touching her face gently.

"And I have never woken up so happy," she smiled, kissing him.

His hands began to stroke her body with need. He pulled the furs off so he could examine her body fully in the morning light. He kissed her lovingly as his hands explored every inch of her. A soft rain had begun to fall on the tent and stifled their soft cries as they made love again. Thunder began to echo across the sky as they finished, holding each other tightly with heavy breaths.

"I think this is my punishment from the Revered Mother," Alistair laughed, looking up at the fading light from the incoming storm. "But I would gladly be struck by lightning right now."

Temene only smiled and nestled into his strong chest. "Do you think anyone else is awake?" Alistair wondered.

"Hopefully everyone has slept late," Temene replied.

"Let's see," Alistair said, rolling over and peeking his head out of the tent flap. He quickly brought his head back inside, his face reddening. "Wynne is awake and I think she saw me," he blushed.

"They will have to find out eventually," Temene sat up.

"Let's just stay in this tent, forever," Alistair joked, turning back to look at her naked body again. "Oh Maker, you are so beautiful," he added, stroking a lock of her hair lovingly.

"We would need food to sustain us," Temene smiled, playfully covering his eyes with her hand. She grabbed her corset and began putting it back on. "Besides, I do not think the darkspawn would be kind enough to let us remain here, making love all day."

"Well, they're no fun," he pouted, searching for his shirt.

"Will we check in on Redcliffe before we search for Haven?" Temene asked, handing Alistair his shirt as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky.

"I would like to find the village as soon as possible," he replied, trying to work his pants up.

He finished dressing and left the tent with a kiss, peering out cautiously before stepping out. Temene on her robe and rebraided her hair. She pulled on a thick cloak to keep the rain from soaking her. When she climbed out of the tent, she saw that everyone else was awake and attempting to keep the fire going. Morrigan looked at Temene with a sneer as Alistair threw more wood on the fire.

"The storm will delay us for a moment but we will head west of the lake when the rain lets up a little," Temene said, pulling her hood over her head.

"It wasn't raining earlier," Morrigan smiled, glancing over at Alistair.

"Why are we moving away from the darkspawn horde? It is pointless to do otherwise," Sten finally spoke up from the side of the fire. It was the first Sten had really spoken since they'd freed him.

"We cannot defeat the horde by ourselves, we are gathering allies," Alistair replied.

Sten grumbled something in reply and went back to eating. Alistair stoked the fire and sat down to eat. Temene sat down beside him, giving him a furtive glance. She took the last bit of sweet bread that Wynne had prepared and began to eat. She held her hand over the bread, trying to keep it from getting soaked by the rain.

The weather eventually let up and they quickly packed up camp and tried to make some progress past Redcliffe. They passed a group of traders who had never heard of Haven, but were eager to pass off a used golem control rod. Temene didn't know what use it would be, but the traders weren't asking much for it.

They went as far as they could before the light faded under the heavy storm clouds that followed them. They walked hard in order to make up for their early morning delay. They camped again for the night with a large mountain looming in the distance. They hoped the mountain would lead them to Haven. Everyone was exhausted from the tiring day of travel and went to bed in their respective tents.  
> <p>


	29. No Haven

The Wardens packed camp in the morning as another dreary day hindered their progress. They made it to the foot of the mountain as the sun began to set. A lightly trodden trail led up the mountain and the Wardens followed it, hoping to find rooms for the night so they could get out of the rain. A guard stood at the top of the trail and prevented them from passing into the village. "I am afraid there is no admittance into the village at night," the guard held up his hand. "If you have something to trade, I can escort you in the morning."

"We aren't looking to trade. We are searching for a Brother Genitivi. Can we assume this is the village of Haven?" Alistair asked the guard.

"This is Haven, but there is no one here of that name, so you can move along," the guard replied.

"Do you at least have any accommodations you can offer?" Alistair asked as the rain began to worsen.

"You can camp at the base of the mountain if you must," the guard replied bluntly.

"What a warm welcome," Morrigan muttered as they headed back down the trail to find a proper place to camp.

The storm worsened and lowered spirits in the camp as they tried to raise a fire amidst the wind and rain. The party sat huddled around a meager fire, eating whatever they had on hand. Every one went to sleep cold and wet from the weather. As Temene tried to sleep she thought she heard noises outside her tent. She got up for a moment and looked around camp, trying to keep her cloak pulled around her tightly. She could see nothing on the outskirts of camp and returned to her tent soaking wet. She stripped off her wet clothes but could get warm again. She spent the rest of the night shivering and did not sleep much.

She emerged from her tent in the morning in a foul mood. There was still a light drizzle in the air and it only irritated her further. She sat down next to the pitiful fire, where her companions looked like they had also spent a miserable evening in their tents. "Did anyone else hear noise outside last night?" Alistair asked.

"I also heard something slinking outside my tent. There is something very wrong with this village," Morrigan replied.

"I saw nothing out there," Temene replied, rubbing her tired eyes. Her head was aching and she was still shivering from the cold that had sunk into her bones. "We should attempt to trade with them in order to get further into the village. We didn't come this far to be turned away. We need to find out what they are hiding."

They took Bodahn with them as they returned up the trail. Sten remained at camp once again, refusing to do anything that did not involve the darkspawn. A different guard stood watch at the edge of the village. "We are here to trade," Temene said curtly.

"All of you?" the guard looked suspiciously.

"Yes," Temene replied with a firm tone.

The guard begrudgingly led them through the seemingly deserted village towards the small trading shop. The yards and small lanes were void of people and animals. There was an eerie silence that hung throughout the village as they passed. "Where are all the people?" Leliana asked.

The guard said nothing and stood on the step of the trading shop, allowing them to pass. Bodahn began discussing goods with the store owner as the rest of the party milled around the small room. "Are you alright?" Alistair asked to Temene, seeing her holding her head again.

"I didn't sleep last night," she sighed, wondering if they had come all this way for nothing.

"Is there anything I can do?" he replied, stroking her face furtively behind the backs of their companions.

She didn't want to be cross with him, but she wanted nothing more at the moment to be dry, rested, and away from the odd village. "I am fine," she replied coldly, brushing his hand away. She turned to the shop owner and began aggressively questioning him.

"You are sure a Brother Gentivi was never here?" she asked.

"No," the owner replied.

"And you have seen no one from Redcliffe here as well?"

"You are the first visitors that have disturbed our village's peace," he replied, as Cullen began to bark towards the back room.

"Then why would the brother mention this village so intricately? He had to have come here at sometime or another. Did you give him the same regal hospitality that you have shown us?" she raised her voice.

"I think you and your party should be leaving," the owner narrowed his eyes. "You have no trade goods that we require. And take that barking mutt with you."

As the owner attempted to escort them out, Cullen bolted towards the back room. "Come back you vile beast!" the owner yelled, spinning on his heels and chasing after the dog.

"Cullen!" Temene called the dog, following the owner into the back room.

Cullen had climbed onto a small crate and was barking loudly at the owner who was brandishing a spade in his hands. As he swung the head of the spade at Cullen, Temene killed him instantly with a blast of lightning. The owner slumped to the floor as Cullen continued to bark. "Oh, this isn't good," Alistair said, coming up behind Temene. "Why did you kill him?"

"He was going to kill Cullen," Temene replied. "He must have been hiding something back here he didn't want us to find," she added, as Cullen continued to bark at a spot on the floor.

Cullen jumped down and began furiously digging at the stones on the rough floor. Temene stooped down and ran her fingers along the dirt Cullen had dug up from the cracks. It smelled faintly of blood. "I think there was blood here," Temene said, scouring the tightly packed storage room for any other evidence.

They looked around the room, moving and pushing dusty items out of the way. Alistair spied a shield that was suspiciously free of dust and pulled it from the planks of wood that covered it. "Here," he called, looking down at the shield. "This is the crest of Redcliffe," he added, rubbing his hand over the stretched leather.

"A knight from Redcliffe was here and is missing his shield," Temene noted, looking over the notched shield.

"I don't like this at all," Alistair said, setting the shield down.

"The guard at the door has brought others with him," Wynne interrupted them. "They are trying to fight their way inside."

The sound of shouting and banging could be heard from the front room. "What is wrong with this place?" Alistair wondered, returning to the store front and seeing the villagers banging on the door and walls.

The Wardens tried to make the villagers stand down but their demands fell on deaf ears. The villagers were determined to stop the Wardens and ran at them with bare fists. The Wardens had little choice but to fight back and fought their way in the direction of the stream of angered villagers. A small chapel sat against the sheer cliffs of the looming mountain. They hesitated to enter the sacred space but the sound of low prayers drew them inside.

They entered the chantry hall cautiously, the dark hall lit only by a few torches. A man in chantry robes was delivering a quiet sermon to a small group of villagers. "Pay no attention to our unwelcome guests," the priest said quietly to his flock, looking up at them for a moment. "They do not know the glory of our arisen Andraste and will soon be cleansed for their wickedness."

"Where is the knight of Redcliffe that came to this village?" Temene asked loudly. "And why are you attempting to attack us?"

"We are protecting ourselves from your foul intrusion," the priest replied, nodding at his parishioners. They turned to look at the party who stood in front of the door.

"What are you hiding?" Morrigan demanded.

"We answer only to the risen Andraste, who will gladly feast on your bones," the priest yelled, letting forth a blast of energy.

The rouge mage's blast pushed the party against the hard doors as the remaining villagers rushed upon them. They grabbed at the Wardens, hitting him with anything they could find on hand. Alistair tried his best to drain the mage of mana while the others attempted to control the crowd. Temene did her best to stun them, but they fought with unbridled rage.

When the villagers had finally been stopped, the floor of the Chantry was covered with blood. "Why did they make us do it?" Alistair looked down sadly at the the bodies. "They just kept attacking us."

"I can only imagine they were sickened by some illness," Wynne closed her eyes. "Or were protecting something they truly did not want us to find."

As the party stood in quiet pause, they heard the faint sound of someone calling out. "Hello? Is anyone there?" a voice cried out from beyond the stone walls.

"There is someone alive?" Leliana looked around the room. She cocked her ear and tried to listen for the voice again. "Here, it is coming from here," she added, pressing her ear towards the stone wall. "Where are you?" she yelled at the wall. She ran her hands along the stone wall, searching for the hidden room. "These stones feel different," she said, gently tapping on them.

"Let me see," Alistair said, touching the wall. He slid his fingers between the rocks, searching for a hidden seam. "Got it," he said, feeling a small notch in the rocks. He pushed the heavy false door aside, revealing a small hidden room.


	30. Against Everyone

Alistair walked cautiously into the dark room where the voice had come from. He hoped it wasn't another crazed villager and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "You aren't from the village?" a voice asked weakly from a dark corner.

"No," Alistair replied, grabbing a torch from the wall. As he stepped back into the room, he could see a man huddled in a ball. "Are you the knight from Redcliffe whose shield we found?" Alistair asked the man.

"No, my name is Brother Genitivi. I am a scholar from the Chantry," the man replied.

"You are Brother Genitivi? We have come looking for you," Alistair asked.

"For what purpose have you sought me out?" Genitivi asked in reply.

"We are Grey Wardens. We've come in search of the Urn of Sacred Ashes. The Arl of Redcliffe is very ill."

"Eamon is ill?" Genitivi mused, while his face winced in pain.

"Are you injured?" Wynne asked from the doorway.

"The villagers smashed my foot. They found me sulking around the doors to the temple that houses the Urn. I can only imagine what else they would have done if you hadn't arrived."

"I do not know if magic will heal this," Wynne said, looking down at his bloodied boot.

"What is wrong with the villagers? Why did they attack us?" Temene asked, stepping into the cold room.

"There is a dragon that lives at the top of this mountain. For some reason, the villagers believe this dragon is Andraste reincarnated. They fear outsiders will try to kill her and defend her to the death. I am almost sure they killed the knight that came seeking the Urn," Genitivi answered.

"Dragon?" Temene wondered. "Could it be the archdemon?"

"I am no Grey Warden, so I could not tell you otherwise. But the dragon guards the mountain and the people worship her for it."

"I do not look forward to facing any dragon, archdemon or not," Alistair added. "But we need to find the ashes if they exist."

"My research leads me to believe so," Genitivi replied. "If the Arl is truly ill, the ashes will cure him."

"Bring Sten, Sandal, and the wagon up here. We need to stay together," Temene looked to Alistair. "We can attempt to climb the mountain tomorrow if the weather lets up."

Alistair nodded and headed back outside as Wynne and Leliana attended to Brother Genitivi's foot. Temene returned to the hall where the bodies of the villagers still lie strewn across the floor. She turned her face away and looked towards the altar where Morrigan was looking through a large book. "Blood magic and all sorts of unseemly things," Morrigan replied, shutting the book abruptly. "This village is definitely a cult."

"We need to do something with the bodies," Temene said.

"Let Alistair do it. He seems likely to do anything you say," Morrigan sneered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Temene asked.

"Simply that he enjoys following orders. Yours especially. I do not feel assured that the most senior Grey Warden in all of Ferelden bows to anyone."

Temene gave Morrigan a dour look, tired of her chastising Alistair. "Oh don't give me that look," Morrigan frowned back. "Just because you are sleeping with him, doesn't make him any less of an idiot."

Wynne walked into the hall, overhearing the last bit of their conversation and cast a look of shamefulness on the two women. "I have managed to heal the Brother's foot as best I can. It will be difficult for him to walk, however," she finally cleared her throat.

Temene wanted to rebuke Morrigan for her rude comments about Alistair but she held her tongue. She instead brought the subject back to the dead villagers. "We should build a pyre mound for the bodies," Temene replied. "We can rest inside the Chantry for the night to keep our heads dry."

They opened the doors and began dragging the smaller bodies outside into the drizzling rain. Alistair returned with Sten and Sandal in tow behind the oxen that bore Bodahn's wagon. They moved the rest of the bodies down the hill and set them aflame. They settled into the small hall, lighting the braziers for warmth as Brother Genitivi went over his research.

As the sun faded, Temene stood at the window, looking down at the plume of smoke from the villager's pyre. "You should rest," Alistair said, coming up behind her. He placed a gentle hand on her back. "Dinner should be ready soon."

"I am sorry if I was cross earlier," she replied, reaching back to grab his free hand. "It just seems like every where we go, we are fighting against the same people we are trying to save."

"I know. Next the dwarven kingdoms will collapse and the dalish elves will send the forest against us," Alistair tried to joke.

Temene sighed and squeezed his hand tightly. She tried to smile but felt too weary to feel any enjoyment. "Come on," he whispered, kissing the back her neck. He escorted her to a bed and demanded that she get some rest. She slept for a little while and woke up to eat dinner. They made plans to climb the mountain and head towards the temple in the morning. Brother Genitivi didn't know if there was anyone left to defend the temple but Temene worried that they would find more resistance as they continued on.  
>Every one slept well under the warm roof of the Chantry. <p>


	31. Refugees

As the Wardens slept peacefully in Haven, the Hawke family was spending another miserable night on the floor of the Gallows courtyard. They'd already been in Kirkwall for a few days and wondered if Gamlen would ever show up. Carver was even more irritable with Lene but Aveline provided a buffer for her brother's anger. They ate what they could find and tried their best to keep their spirits up while they waited for their uncle.

Lene didn't like being around so many templars but she managed to keep a low profile. She was curled up asleep when Gamlen finally arrived in the Gallows. "Gamlen, I hardly recognized you," Leandra paused, seeing that the years had taken their toll on him.

"Well, your departure was not exactly helpful to the family," Gamlen chastised her. "I am assuming these are your children?" he added, looking at Lene, Carver, and Aveline.

"Just these two," Leandra's voice fell. "Bethany, she did not survive our journey."

"Well, I don't know how much help I can be," Gamlen replied crassly, without apologizing for opening up the wound of Bethany's death.

"It sounds as if the guard is taking bribes to let people into the city. Can't you take some money from the estate?" Leandra asked.

"There is no more estate and there is no more money."

"What do you mean?"

"It is gone. You weren't here when mother and father died. I had to clean everything up."

"But an entire estate!" Leandra protested.

"There is no use blaming each other for what happened in the past," Lene interrupted. "We need to figure something out together."

"There must be something we can do?" Carver wondered. "We won't last out here much longer."

"I can talk to some friends, see about getting you work under contract for them. We could get enough money up front to bribe the guards," Gamlen replied.

"Do it," Lene insisted. "Anything to get us out of here."

Gamlen disappeared and returned a few hours later, holding a large purse. "You'll have to work a year to pay this off but it should be enough to get you all inside the city," Gamlen said, shifting the purse between his hands.

"A year!" Leandra protested.

"You're lucky it isn't more," Gamlen snapped. "I had to pull a lot of strings to get this."

"It's fine mother. Carver and I are good workers and this will get us out of here," Lene replied.

"I won't have you paying my way. I will find another way into the city," Aveline interrupted.

"Nonsense Aveline, you can repay us whenever you can. We owe you that much, " Lene replied.

"Thank you," Aveline smiled warmly.

"Well are we going to stand here or get going?" Gamlen asked in an annoyed tone.

Lene stood up and followed Gamlen as they passed near the guard who'd prevented their passage. Gamlen dropped the purse into the guard's shield furtively as they passed by him. The city was like nothing Lene had ever seen. There were people everywhere, some refugees and others citizens of Kirkwall. The Gallows entrance was imposing and chilled Lene's bones. Her father had rarely talked about Kirkwall but had mentioned the entrance that loomed upon you. She wanted to leave the area as soon as possible.

They followed Gamlen to the small house he kept in Lowtown. It was meager and dirty but the Hawke family, reduced to begging, couldn't be picky. They were forced to sleep on the floor until they could afford to buy beds to sleep in. The house was infested with rats but Aveline managed to scare them away before she found an inexpensive room at the Hanged Man and left the family to cohabitate.

The work Gamlen had arranged for them was less than seemly, but the Hawke siblings and Aveline had little choice. They tried their best to help Athenril's smuggling business, while keeping as low a profile as possible. They had entire year to pay off their debts in Kirkwall as war raged in Ferelden. 


	32. The Frozen Temple

The Warden's hike up the mountain was a tumultuous one. They were slowed by weather and Genitivi's lame foot. It took them several days to make it up the mountain. Sten stayed behind at the Chantry to protect the wagon and dwarves. The hiking party tried to layer with as many heavy clothes as possible but the icy wind made their ascent miserable. Spirits at the camp were low, as the wind made it difficult to get a good fire going.

The temple entrance looked unassuming against the craggy mountain. A heavy door barred their way but Genitivi had seen it opened before and knew the trick to release the locking mechanism. They entered the snow filled temple with caution. The enormous entrance hall was as grand as it was ruined. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed, letting in large shafts of light. Bones and other debris were scattered among the hard snow drifts.

Genitivi could go no further on his foot and remained in the entrance hall. Temene recommended that he stay out of sight in case more villagers showed up. The Wardens moved ahead, searching the smaller halls for any signs of life, finding more of the cultists huddled inside icy rooms. "How could anyone live in here, it is dire," Leliana wondered after the cultists had been fallen.

"If these people believe a dragon is the incarnate of Andraste, they are truly insane," Morrigan commented.

"They must have at least fifty guards in here," Alistair mused, seeing the amount of beds the small rooms occupied.

"And they will no doubt block our way to the ashes," Temene replied.

They continued searching the halls for a way ahead and eventually found a large series of caverns that led deeper into the mountain. Small groups of dragonlings stalked the halls among the cultists, fed by hundreds of pounds of slaughtered meat. It was clear that the cultists were feeding and growing the young dragons.

A main clutch of dragon eggs was heavily guarded by a powerful mage. Temene recognized him as the former First Enchanter. He'd disappeared shortly after Temene had arrived at the Circle Tower as a child. She picked up the sword he carried, thinking it odd that a mage would carry a weapon. She could feel power in the blade and took it with her as they continued on through the caverns.

It became clear as they walked through the hollowed tunnels and sulfur pools, that the mountain was volcanic. In places the gases were almost overwhelming and they rushed through as quickly as possible. They eventually returned into more man-made structures that were guarded heavily by the cultist. Their leader, Kolgrim, had been ordering them to attack the Wardens. He refused to stand down, once again proclaiming the the risen Andraste would strike them down.

After a long day of travel, they finally neared the peak of the mountain where another temple stood. The dragon believed to be Andraste sat brooding on a nearby cliff and the Wardens were cautious not to disturb her. They were weary but there was no proper place to rest so they continued on. They entered the temple where another man stood guard. He stood firmly in place, however, and did not attack them.  
>"For what purpose have you come here pilgrim?" the guard asked.<p>

"We seek the Urn of Sacred Ashes to heal a sick man," Alistair replied. "You aren't one of the cultist, are you?"

"I am the Guardian. It is my former brethren that have lost their way," the Guardian replied.

"Why are they attacking us?" Temene asked.

"Long have we guarded the sacred ashes. Some of the former guardians of the Urn have grown weary of our task and sought another path."

"How do we get to the Urn?" Alstair asked.

"The Urn is housed in the temple behind me. Only those pilgrims with pureness in their heart may reach the ashes and take a small pinch for themselves," the Guardian replied.

"What does that mean?" Morrigan asked.

"You will face a gauntlet of tests that will prove your faith."

"Let's get on with it then," Temene replied, feeling the weariness of their day starting to overcome her.

They proceeded through the gauntlet and faced tests as guardian mentioned. Temene had expected traps but the tests where more psychological and faith based. As they passed through a wall of fire that left them untouched, they found the small urn at the base of a statue of Andraste. Temene took only a small pinch as instructed and placed them in a leather satchel.

"I hope this was worth the trouble," Temene commented as they began to hike down the mountain as the last bit of light faded from the sky. They hurried back to where they had left Genitivi, who they found napping against one of the pillars. It was too late to head back down the mountain so they made due in the former rooms of the cultists. They tried to warm the rooms as best they could, but their rest was still uncomfortable. 


	33. Lovers in Redcliffe

The Wardens were glad to leave Haven, just as the weather decided to cooperate with their travels. They packed the injured scholar in Bodahn's wagon and set off towards Redcliffe. They traveled as quickly as possible, knowing the Arl did not have much time left. Their quickness paid off when the found the Arl still alive when they returned to Redcliffe. The Wardens went to his bedside as soon as they arrived.

A representative of the Circle of Magi had arrived to take Connor to the Circle Tower and administered the ashes. The Arl woke up in miraculous fashion, confused about what had happened. He was still weak, so Teagan decided not to disturb him with the details of what had occurred with his son. The Arl was pleased to see Alistair and kept him at his bedside until he fell back asleep.

Temene was glad to be back indoors, where the warmth finally brightened her mood. She took a long bath and prepared for bed in one of the guest rooms. As she sat dozing by the fire, she heard a quiet knock on her door. She got up and wiped a bit of unattractive drool from her mouth. Alistair stood outside her door with a warm smile on his face. "Come in," she motioned him inside.

She sat back down near the fire and he choose a chair next to her. "I just wanted to thank you for helping save Eamon. You didn't have to do it," he said.

"Of course," she replied. "Anything to save a life and as you said, his help could be useful to end the Blight."

"We should rest here for a few days, don't you think? We are all fairly battered from our journey," he asked.

"I think that would be best. We are no good fighting darkspawn injured."

He was silent for a moment and stared over at her. He'd been waiting for more alone time with her. "We haven't been able to see much of each other the past few days, I was just," he paused.

"Do you want to spend the night again?" she smiled.

"You read my mind," he grinned. "Things at camp aren't very private. I've been waiting to get you alone."

"Is that so?"

"Very much so," he beamed, leaning over his chair to try and kiss her.

"Careful," she laughed as he nearly fell out of the chair. She stood up and took his hand, leading him towards the bed.

"I've been think about you for days," he kissed her. "You are driving me crazy."

"What about me have you been thinking of?" she smiled, slipping off her dress.

"About this," he smiled, kissing her neck. "And these," he moved down to her breasts. She pulled off his shirt slowly and began working on his trousers. "I've heard that if a man kisses a woman, you know, down there, that it can be very enjoyable for her," he inquired.

"Yes, it is. Just remember that story you told me about the bowl of gravy," she grinned, pulling him onto the bed.

It was a much more comfortable night for them on the luxurious bed. They had room to spread out and explore each others bodies. Alistair had already become a ravenous lover and spent every moment trying to please Temene. She guided him through some new things and returned all his affections with things that would please him. They spent the rest of the night in each others arms.  
>"I can never stop now, you've turned me into some sort of sex demon," Alistair joked as Temene lie snuggled against him.<p>

"Then I submit fully to you demon," she smiled sleepily. "Do what you want with me."

They slept late into the morning and made love again before Alistair got up to check on Eamon. The Arl was doing well and Teagan had already relayed what had transpired in the castle. He was thankful for the Warden's assistance but mourned the death of his wife. He had convinced the mage representative to allow his son to remain at the castle for a few more days. He sat with Alistair in his study and talked with him for a long while.

"You've come at the most opportune time," Eamon said. "Ferelden needs you now more than ever."

"I only hope we can stop the Blight," Alistair replied.

"I don't just mean the Blight. If Loghain is claiming the throne in place of his daughter, we need a strong candidate to overthrow him."

"You can't mean me?" Alistair wondered. "I don't know the first thing about being a king."

"You are Maric's son. I know you have it in you," Eamon replied.

"But you are his uncle. Surely you could do a better job as king?"

"Since Teagan and my claim to the throne is only by marriage, it may not be enough to sway the Landsmeet. We need a claim by blood."

"I don't," Alistair paused. "We still need to think about defeating the Blight before taking care of Loghain." He couldn't imagine being king and didn't want to talk about it at the moment.

"You should continue with finding allies then. I will begin making inquires about Loghain's treachery."

Alistair left Eamon in a troubled mood. He had never thought about being king and knew he would never be able to handle all the responsibilities. He sat in his room, holding his head, before Temene came to find him. "Is everything alright?" she asked, leaning down to kiss the back of his neck.

"Yes, I suppose," he said, reaching back to grab her hand.

"Are you sure," she asked, taking her hands softly to the back of his neck.

"Eamon wants to put me forth as king in order to overthrow Loghain," Alistair sighed.

"Because Maric was your father?"

"Eamon says his claim to the throne wouldn't be strong enough to sway the Landsmeet. But I am only Maric's bastard son. He cheated on Eamon's sister to have me. It just seems so, unseemly. I don't even want to think about it right now."

"We'll figure things out when we get there. We still have a whole darkspawn army to contend with," she replied, continuing to rub his shoulders.

"Temene, what would I do without you," he sighed. "I love you, do you know that?"

"I love you too Alistair," she smiled, hugging him from behind.

"Do you want to get out of here for a while? The castle I mean. I just want to get out of here for a moment."

"Sure, let me fetch a coat," she replied.

She grabbed a coat from the guest room and met Alistair back in his room. They headed out of the castle together and walked along the edge of Lake Calenhad for a while. Winter was quickly approaching and a chill hung in the air. "Just imagine," Alistair mused as they sat down on a hidden patch of lawn. "We lived across the lake from each other for years. I wish I'd known you then," he laughed, happy to be alone with her again.

"I don't think the templars would have liked you associating with a mage," she replied.

"I would have loved you just a much as I do now, templars or no," he smiled. "It's so strange how far we've come already. I never imagined getting involved with someone so quickly, but you, just," he smiled and leaned over to kiss her outstretched body.

"You make me happy Alistair," she smiled, taking a handful of his hair in her fingers. "I didn't know how miserable I was in the tower until I met you."

"Do you think we can really do this? The Blight I mean?"

"We can only try our best. If something happens, I'll die happy to have been with you."

"Boulders could fall on me now and I would be happy," he grinned and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Then we should not waste a moment," she added, fondling him through his clothes.

They made love once again on the lawn, not caring if someone should come upon them. They lingered for a while longer, still half dressed and entwined next to each other. They returned to the castle together as the sun set and planned to head south. They hoped to find news of the Dalish and track a horde of darkspawn that had been seen heading in the direction. 


	34. Friends in Stone Places

The Wardens rested for a few more days in Redcliffe, healing old wounds and helping restore order to the broken village. There was a ceremonial funeral for Isolde but few of the villagers seemed to grieve for the Arlessa. Connor was taken to the Circle, crying desperately not to go. Eamon assured the boy it would be alright and shed a few tears as the boy was taken away. The Arl had begun his efforts to bring the nobles against Loghain.

The party headed south and kept their ears open for travelers who had seen the Dalish aravels in recent days. They following the trailing remnants of a darkspawn horde that drove towards the village of Honnleath. "This is where the golem is supposed to be," Temene wondered, as they spied the village from afar.

"Hopefully we can still save some of the village," Alistair replied, seeing smoke rising from several of the houses.

"Let us not delay further," Sten argued, excited to be fighting a real opponent.

The village was virtually in ruins when they arrived, the darkspawn still prowling around. They were easy prey for the Wardens despite their numbers. The large golem statue was visible in the middle of the village, untouched by the darkspawn. Temene tried to use the control rod but it did nothing. "We should look around, check for anymore darkspawn," Alistair replied. "That thing was probably worthless anyway."

They checked the surrounding houses and grounds and discovered more darkspawn down in the cellars. They had come to kill the remaining villagers who hid behind a protective barrier. "I believe all the darkspawn are dead, you can come out," Temene said.

"Thank you," one of the men replied, lowering the magical field. "Are you one of the bannorn's men?"

"No, we are Grey Wardens," Temene replied.

"What are you doing here in Honnleath? Not that we aren't grateful for you saving us."

"We were tracking these darkspawn and a man sold us this control rod."

"So you are here for Shale?"

"Shale?"

"The golem. It was my father's. I suppose my mother didn't give out the right phrase when she sold the rod. If you want the golem you can take it, but my father is dead because of it."

"How?"

"We found the golem standing over my father's crushed body. It hasn't been active since."

The man gave Temene the correct phrase for the golem and returned to the village square with the Wardens. "Please don't activate it until we leave the village. There isn't much left for us here," the man replied.

"You might find shelter in Redcliffe," Alistair suggested.

"Thank you," the man replied.

The Wardens helped the remaining villagers pack up and saw them on their way. Temene held the rod in her hand, hesitant to wake the golem. "What do you think we should do?" Temene asked Alistair.

"I think we should best leave golems to the dwarves," Alistair replied.

"You would have us abandon one of the most powerful warriors ever created?" Morrigan protested.

"I agree," Sten replied. "A warrior with stone skin would be no match for the darkspawn."

Wynne and Leliana seemed to have no opinion one way or another. They agreed there was a danger activating it but golems were known as formidable warriors. "Alright, we will do it," Temene swallowed hard.

She repeated the phrase and watched as the magical bonds the held the golem disappear. The golem slowly returned to life, letting out a gravelly cry. Temene took a step back and prepared to fight if the golem lashed out of them. "Uh another mage," Shale groaned, seeing the spark of lightning in Temene's hand. "And it has the control rod," she added, looking at her other hand.

"You won't hurt us, will you?" Temene asked.

"If you hold the control rod, then I will unfortunately have to do anything you tell me," Shale replied.

"Um, okay, walk over there," Temene pointed.

The golem stood in place for a moment, silent and unmoving. "Strange," Shale finally spoke. "It seems I have no compulsion to follow your orders. Tell me to do something else."

"Um, pick up Alistair," Temene commanded.

"Hey!" Alistair protested.

"No, nothing," Shale replied with slight mirth in her stoney voice. "That fool of a mage must have broken it trying to augment me."

"The mage that you killed?' Temene asked. "Your former master?

"I do not know for certain if I killed him. I have no memory of it but his son said as much. And that hag wife."

"Well, if you cannot be controlled then what will you do? I cannot command you to storm the darkspawn hordes," Temene wondered.

"I do not know. I have been stuck watching this villagers for thirty years, I certainly want to leave this place," Shale remarked. "You are fighting darkspawn you say?"

"Yes, we are Grey Wardens."

"You don't have any of those large birds around that you ride?"

"Griffins?" Alistair wondered. "No, they have been extinct for some time."

"A truer miracle could never occur. I suppose I could follow you for a while. I do like to crush things and the darkspawn are quite squishy," Shale replied.

"Wonderful," Morrigan sighed. "Now we will draw even more attention with a giant rock following us around."

Shale didn't take kindly to the name, but seemed more concerned about the chickens pecking near her feet.  
>They headed out of the village at Shale's request and began heading east. There was little hope of finding the Dalish so far south. They camped for the night and continued on their journey the next morning. They were lucky to stumble upon some traders heading west. The traders had passed a Dalish settlement in the west and hadn't found the elves hospitable. The Wardens set off towards the Brecelian forest at once with their ever growing party. <p>


	35. Mementos

As the Wardens continued towards the Brecilian Forest, they prepared to pass Ostagar. Temene could see that it troubled Alistair and sought him out after everyone else went to bed. "You are thinking about Duncan?" she asked, finding him lying restlessly in his tent. She lie down beside him and took his hand in hers for comfort.

"I didn't want to ever come near this place again," Alistair replied. "But I left so much there. I wish I had something to remember Duncan by. I still can't believe what happened."

"Why don't we go then?" Temene replied. "It wouldn't hurt to cleanse the area and make sure there were no more darkspawn around. "

"Do you really think so?" he wondered.

"Our comrades deserve that much," she added.

They agreed to head to Ostagar by themselves, leaving their remaining companion to rest for an extra day. An early winter storm blew in during the night and they woke up with the camp blanketed in snow. They pulled on heavy, fur-lined cloaks and began the hike up to Ostagar. An earlier snowfall had not melted in the high shadows of the fortress and made their ascent difficult. They eventually reached the main gates into the fortress, broken and covered in snow. "Look here, footprints," Alistair said, bending down to look at the snow.

"There are probably some darkspawn lingering here," Temene replied, taking her staff off her back.

They headed into the main courtyard cautiously, finding a small darkspawn camp where the army had been previously camped. Temene summoned a great inferno to burn the darkspawn from afar. They found the remenants of the Grey Warden tent and found some of their discarded items frozen to the ground. "Well, at least the darkspawn didn't run off with my small clothes," Temene remarked, trying to pull her frozen pack from the ground.

She finally the pack free and reached inside, pulling out an old apple that had grown rancid. "Ew," she wiped her glove on the snow.

"These are some of Duncan's things," Alistair replied, grabbing a large pack. "I'll have to look through them when we return to camp."

They continued on with their newly acquired possessions and found more darkspawn lurking the frozen ruins. Temene wanted to make it to the Tower of Ishal and back, hoping to retrieve the staff she'd received from the Circle Tower.

As they crossed the bridge leading to the tower they found Cailan's body hung up on display. He had been stripped of his armor and mutilated. "Why would they do such a horrible thing?" Alistair turned his face away.

"They'd hung up villagers in the Wilds as well. They want to discourage us. I didn't think they had enough intelligence to be so cruel," Temene shook her head.

"We should take him down, give me a proper burial," Alistair replied.

They managed to pull Cailan's body down and gathered some bits of wood to build a pyre. Temene was growing weary of setting bodies aflame but sent Cailan off with a blaze of blue flame. They made it to the tower in the middle of the afternoon but found the floor leading upstair collapsed. "The darkspawn must have tunneled in here," Alistair remarked. "I don't think there is a way to get up there."

"I will just have to buy a better staff when we can find some coin," Temene said, leaning on her makeshift staff.

"We could start charging all the people we help," Alistair joked.

They left Ostagar as the sun began to set and returned down to their camp. Most of the possessions in Temene's bag had been spoiled by the rancid fruit but Cullen's book had remained intact. She brushed it off slightly and tucked it into her new pack. Alistair unwrapped Duncan's pack and found his shield inside, as well as a few other items sentimental to him. "I didn't know Duncan used a shield," Temene asked, as Alistair showed it to her proudly.

"He was trained in many different fighting styles. He helped me hone my skills," Alistair replied, his eyes turning nostalgic. "Thank you for coming with me. I have this to remember Duncan by and I was able to give my brother a proper burial," he added.

"You know, I think you'd make a fine king," Temene joked. "You could entertain the nobles with your jokes."

"And wear a crown too," Alistair tried to laugh. He still had no aspirations to be king and knew the heavy price he would have to pay if he did.

He began polishing the shield as Temene disposed of the ruined items in her pack. They still had many cold days hiking through the Southron Mountains before they reached the Brecilian Passage. It was slow going with a wagon in tow but they eventually found the forest and slightly milder weather from the nearby coast. They camped just outside the forest, reaching it near nightfall. They didn't know how deep into the forest they would have to venture to find the Dalish Elves. 


	36. Flat Eared Suspicions

The Wardens entered the forest in the clear morning light. The winter air was chill, but less than their recent trek through the mountains. Sten once again voiced his opinion that they were wasting time but Temene ignored him. Guards at the edge of camp stopped them but let them through after learning they were Grey Wardens. They seemed quite agitated and looked at the Wardens with contempt as they headed towards the keeper's aravel. They especially didn't seem fond of Cullen, who followed at Temene's heels.

Zathrian greeted them with slightly more enthusiasm but quickly noted the dire situation the elves were in. He also noted that some of the darkspawn from Lothering and drifted into the forest along with the werewolves. Temene sighed heavily, knowing they would once again have to solve the problem with the rabid wolves in order to gain the elves' alliance. "I guess we have no choice but to help you," Temene replied begrudgingly.

"Thank you," Zathrian replied. "I would also ask that you keep your dog close. My people have grown a dislike for such beasts."

Temene frowned but nodded and turned to Sten as Zathrian left them. "See, it won't be a waste after all. We have darkspawn to hunt as well."

They settled into the camp and loaded as many supplies into their packs as possible. Bodahn and the wagon would have to remain in the Dalish camp while they ventured further into the woods.  
>They rested in the camp for the night, taking advantage of the few empty aravels. "These are nicer than our tents," Alistair remarked after he'd snuck into Temene's landship.<p>

He slid in beside her as she lie on her back, looking up at the paintings on the top of the aravel. It was a pattern of the night sky in glossy black and gold paint. "Honestly, why can't anyone help themselves," Temene vented immediately. "We are supposed to be hunting the archdemon, not tracking rabid wolves and killing abominations."

"I think the Blight brings out the worst in everything," Alistair replied. "At least that's how it seems. It doesn't help that there are only two of us representing the order."

"I am going to rip Loghain's head off when I meet him," Temene shook her head.

"Just let me have all the appendages," Alistair added, slipping his hand into hers.

"I thought I'd enjoy meeting my Dalish kin, but they are so, rude," she paused. "Just because my ears are flatter and I don't have tattoos anywhere."

"I rather like you ears," Alistair smiled, kissing one gently.

"Alistair," Temene grinned as his lips tickled her ear. "Did you come by here just to make love in an aravel?"

"Well, the thought had crossed my mind," he smiled, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I guess they are feel nobler because they don't have to live in the alienage," she said, rolling over on her side to face him. "I don't want to hunt werewolves," she added with another sigh, kissing him softly.

"Mmm, alright," he smiled, returning her kiss. "You can frolic in the woods while I do all the dirty work."

"I'm holding you to that," she smiled.

They spent the night together and climbed out of Temene's aravel in the morning, in plain view of all their companions who were already up. Most of their companions gave them looks of disdain but Leliana seemed quite pleased. She followed Temene as she went to retrieve water from the nearby spring. "It makes me so happy to see you and Alistair together. You are well suited for each other," Leliana remarked.

"I don't think everyone else approves," Temene replied, bending down to fill her water skin.

"Morrigan is just jealous. I think she wishes she had a man like Alistair. And I think Wynne just fears you are focusing too much on your sexual relationship and that you will hurt him in the end."

"What do you mean?" Temene blushed slightly.

"Well, we hear you two at camp often. And I've heard mages are quite, free with their love."

Temene's face grew even redder and she reminded herself to tell Alistair to utilize their pillows more often. She returned to where the party sat around the fire and couldn't look at any of them in the eye. "Let's get moving," she finally said, clearing her throat.

"Are you alright?" Alistair asked quietly, seeing her reddened face.

"We will discuss it later," she replied in a whisper.

They set off deeper into the forest, searching for the great white wolf as Zathrian had instructed them to do. The werewolves sat in wait on the outskirts on the camp, keeping watch for anyone who dared to enter their domain. They attacked first, but when the knew they could not best the Wardens, they stopped to parley. Temene was highly surprised that they could talk. The werewolves spoke only of betrayal and ran off without another word.

"What was that all about?" Temene wondered.

"I didn't think werewolves were intelligent," Leliana remarked.

"Just because they speak, doesn't make them intelligent," Morrigan remarked.

"Some are smart enough not to speak, right Cullen," Alistair gave Morrigan a sour look and cooed at Cullen, patting his head. "Isn't that what they say boy?" Cullen barked happily back at Alistair.

"Yet he still manages to leave animal carcasses in my bag," Morrigan complained.

"Those are gifts. He is bringing you gifts," Alistair lectured her. "He's a good boy."

"You can have them then," Morrigan added.

"Come on, you can play with Cullen back at camp," Temene replied. "We should follow the werewolves. They will lead us to Witherfang."

They continued on and found even more enemies to fight against. Besides the small bands of darkspawn, the trees, infected with some sort of spirit, came after them. They continued on as far as they could manage finding a strange barrier that blocked their path. Temene did not know how to ward it and hoped they would not have to return all the way to the Dalish camp for help. They tried to use some old pieces of wood to fortify their camp a little.

Temene didn't sleep well, the forest bearing the heaviness of Veil. She got up for a moment and walked around the edge of camp, accidentely stepping on a tree root in the dark. She heard a low grumble and took a defensive stance, jumping back away from the tree. "Hmmm," the tree groaned, almost sounding like it was preparing to speak. "What manner of being are you?" the tree finally spoke.

"A talking tree?" Temene said with fear in her voice. She held a small flame in her palm carefully, prepared to attack.

"Ah an elf ye be in front of this Elder Tree," the tree replied, seeing Temene's reflection in the fire in her hand.

"I, I am sorry for stepping on you," Temene replied. "You aren't going to attack me like the others?"

"My bretheren have gone astray, while I only wait here waylaid."

"Waylaid, by what purpose?"

"A thief it was who stole the precious acorn from my keep."

"An acorn?"

"My seed ss is all I am, and all I be. May I ask you to free it for me?"

"Where is it?"

"The thieve's camp lies ahead. Retrieve my acorn and I will remove the great barrier that lies in your stead."

"I will return it then," Temene replied.

She left the strange talking tree and returned to her tent even more troubled. She wondered what other strange spirits they would encounter as they continued on. She tried to sleep as best she could, but the distant howling of the werewolves kept her awake for sometime. Cullen snuck into her tent and slept beside her, somehow frightened by the werewolves calls.


	37. Mad Elven Talking Trees

Temene slept late into the morning, tired from not sleeping well through the night. Alistair had to come into her tent to rouse her. "Are you alright?" he asked, shaking her shoulder gently. "Everyone else is awake and ready to leave."

"I just didn't sleep well," she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Are you sure? You looked a little flushed yesterday," he asked.

"Oh, that," Temene grinned slightly. "Apparently everyone at camp can, um, hear us when we are intimate. For their sake, we might want to keep it down."

"Oh," Alistair blushed. "I guess I haven't been paying attention to that. Do you think we should, um, announce our relationship?"

"Let's keep them guessing for a while longer," she smiled.

"Like right now?" he asked deviously, kissing the side of her neck.

"Not now," she giggled loudly as his lips tickled her.

Morrigan could be heard groaning outside, which only caused Temene to laugh more as Alistair licked her neck. "I think we've annoyed Morrigan enough," she added. "Now let me get dressed. They'll be more time for that when we aren't hunting werewolves."

She shooed him out with a kiss and dressed quickly. She climbed out of her tent and saw her companions waiting for her. "Um, I've found a way past the barrier," Temene announced, trying to move attention for their late start. "I ran into, er, stepped on a talking tree. Some hermit stole his acorn and if we get it back, we can get past the barrier."

Even as it came out of Temene's mouth it sounded ridiculous. Her companions looked on her with confusion and slight concern for her mental condition. "I swear I haven't gone mad, the talking tree was here somewhere," she added in a defensive tone. "It was somewhere around camp. Elder Tree, where are you?"

"I didn't think elves really talked to trees," Sten grumbled.

"No, it's here, I stepped on one of its root," Temene looked around, but saw that most of the trees in the area had gnarled roots. "Hello?" she called out.

The Elder Tree eventually stirred, shaking leaves onto Temene. "Have you yet returned with my precious acorn?" the tree asked.

"Not yet, I just wanted to make sure um," Temene replied. "Where is the man who stole the acorn?"

"I know not where the thief has camped, but search the trail well tramped."

"A talking, rhyming tree?" Morrigan interjected. "Now I have seen everything."

"We'll be back with your acorn then," Temene replied.

They left the camp intact, not knowing how long it would take to find the tree's acorn. They followed the trail that split into many paths. One was more trodden than the others so they followed it until the found the hermit's hidden camp. It was clear the hermit was a mage gone mad and he didn't relinquish the acorn without a fight.

They returned back to the Grand Oak and presented him with the seemingly harmless acorn. As the acorn dropped into the small notch on the tree's trunk, its bark grew more vibrant and its leaves flourished. The Oak thanked them and welcomed them to stay at camp for another night, quickly bearing sweet fruit for them to share. The party had already wasted half a day searching for the acorn, so they took the rest of the day to relax.

They left at first light the next morning and continued on through the forest, following the foul path of the werewolves. They were savage hunters and left the half-eated carcasses of their prey torn to shreds. The Wardens eventually stumbled onto a large ruin that looked to be the lair of the werewolves. They made camp for the night, setting someone to keep watch at all times, as they slept in shifts. The werewolves didn't dare attack, but they prowled around the edge of camp, searching for trouble.

The old ruins looked to be Tevinter in origin but it was clear that elves had once taken residence inside. There was also evidence of magic in the ruins, as they came across many walking corpses and spirits. Temene found a case of phylacteries and stopped to examine them out of curiosity. The blood inside had all but dried besides one that looked as if it had been recently filled. She picked up the vial and felt the immediate sense of a spirit inside.

She could sense no evil in the spirt but instead desperation and fear. It spoke to her in the lost elven language that she didn't even know but could somehow understand. The spirit was also a mage, but from a lost order of elven Arcane Warriors. The spirit had been trapped in the phylactery by a blood mage many ages ago and longed to be at peace. As Temene smashed the phylactery, the spirit shared all of it knowledge with her. It was so much information at once, Temene's head began to ache and she cried out in pain.

"Are you alright?" Alistair asked, running to her side.

"Yes, I just feel, my head," she mumbled and then collapsed.

Alistair carried Temene back outside to where they'd made camp and laid her down on her bedroll. She appeared only to be dreaming heavily but he could not wake her. He stayed at her side as they made up camp again for the night, delayed once again. It rained through the night, soaking the ground and casting a eerie fog as the Wardens rose in the morning.


	38. A Curse Has Come Upon Me

***Sorry for the long delay in chapters. I was working on my entry for the Bioware costume contest! I could sure use some swag from their store!***

Temene woke up with Alistair in attendance in her tent once again. "You really have to stop losing consciousness," he laughed, smiling as she awoke. "You always make me worry."

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked. It felt like she'd lived another lifetime. She'd seen the ancient training of the arcane warriors of old and now understood their power.

"Only for a day," he replied. "It is only late morning. Are you sure you are alright?"  
>She nodded and asked if the werewolves had made anymore contact.<p>

"No, but I saw a white wolf pass near camp last night. Perhaps that is Witherfang," Alistair replied.

"This is all so strange," Temene held her head for a moment. "Zathrian said nothing about them being intelligent. They don't seem eager to attack us?"

"I don't know," Alistair shook his head.

Temene had slept in her clothes and climbed out of her tent with Alistair in tow. "Are you alright?" Wynne asked from the fire. "I looked you over but you only appeared to be dreaming heavily."

"It was, I think I met a spirit. Like the one you met, it taught me things. Had you ever heard of an Elven order known as arcane warriors?"

"I believe they died out shortly after the fall of the Dales. You think this spirit was one of them?" Wynne asked.

"I don't now. I might have to experiment with what I learned back at camp. The magic inside me, feels, different now."

Wynne looked slightly concerned but Temene assured her she was okay. They left camp intact but put up a protective barrier to keep it safe. They hoped to find Witherfang before day's end and return to camp, then head back to the Dalish encampment in the morning. They retraced their steps through where they had already explored and continued on. The corpses and spiders were still prevalent through the halls as they passed and a few of the werewolves tried prevent them from moving further inside.

The Wardens eventually found themselves in front of the same werewolves who wished to parley with them days earlier. They seemed slightly more reasonable and wished to discuss matters with their leader, the Lady of the Forest. They escorted the Wardens through the rest of the ruin and into the inner sanctum of the Lady's domain.

She revealed to them the entire truth of the werewolves' curse, which was laid upon a group of men who attacked Zathrian's family. His revenge had brought on hundreds of years of suffering for the werewolves. The Lady suspected that only Zathrian could cure the curse, not the heart of the wolf she was bound to.

"Will you return to the Dalish camp with us then, peacefully, so we can resolve this curse?" Temene asked.

"We will do no harm as long as we receive none," the Lady vowed.

The group returned towards the entrance of the ruins and found Zathrian alone, looking through their camp. He had gotten passed the protective barriers and was going through some of their things. "What are you doing?" Temene asked.

"You were taking such a long time, I was coming to check on you," he scoffed, seeing the werewolves and Lady in tow. "And you return with our sworn enemies!"

"They had spoken about the true nature of this curse. One that you have laid upon your own people because of vengeance," she chastised him.

"Those men deserve to suffer for eternity for what they did!" Zathrian yelled.

"But nothing so cruel can bring your family back, Keeper," Wynne said in a softening tone.

"It matters not. What's done is done! If you will not kill her, I will do it myself."

"You know that killing me will only cure your people and will not end the curse of my brethren," the Lady added.

"I care not for your brethren. They may worship you but they are no better than the darkspawn."

"You have made this curse, you yourself must end it. You are allowing your own people to suffer for grief of your family," Temene raised her voice.

"I will die before I end it," he shouted, sending a powerful bolt of energy at Temene.

She stumbled backwards, weakened, but felt a great defensive power come over her. It gave her the strength to ward off the power spells Zathrian unleashed upon them. She did her best to parry his spells and protect her companions. He finally collapsed, drained off all his magical energy. "Enough! I, I cannot defeat you," he sighed.

"I did not want to fight you Zathrian. But you must end this curse, free your people," Temene pleaded as she took a knee to rest.

"It will take all, all that I have to reverse it. But, at least, they will be free. They will fight at your side but you must defeat the Blight," he left out a heavy sighed.

"Thank you," the Lady added kindly.

Zathrian closed his eyes and concentrated all his efforts on the spell that had bound the Lady's spirit to the wolf. He fell over, drained of all life energy as the curse lifted from the werewolves, who appeared once again human. "He is dead," Wynne announced, kneeling over Zathrian's body.

"He has redeemed himself in death," the Lady bowed her head.

"You still remain?" Temene wondered.

"This forest is my home, I am bound to it even without the wolf to cling to. I will return to tending my children, the sylvans," she replied.

"And what of you?" Temene asked the humans.

"I don't know," one of them responded. "We've known nothing else for so long. I suppose we will head for a human settlement."

The humans stayed at the Wardens' camp for the night and left towards the north as the Wardens returned to the Dalish camp in the west. They did not speak about all that had transpired but told Lanaya that Zathrian had given his life willingly to end the curse. She seemed slightly overwhelmed to become the new Keeper but gave her word that the Dalish would aid them when the time came.

The Wardens rested for a few days with the Dalish, while making plans of where to go next. Winter was coming on strong and they would need to stock up on supplies before they attempted to make the trek through the Frostback Mountains. Alistair thought it best to make a low key stop near Denerim in order to gain the best supplies for their journey. He dispatched a letter for Eamon to contact them there with any news before they headed to Dwarven kingdom.


	39. Supply Run

The Wardens headed to Denerim, glad to leave the eerie forest behind them. They would be cautious in their dealings in the city and hurry quickly to seek out the last of their allies in Orzamar. They skirted the edge of the Brecilian Forest as they headed northward. They camped for the night in the shadow of Dragon's Peak. They would be able to reach Denerim by early afternoon the next day.

Alistair happily accepted Temene's invitation to stay the night in her tent. They snuggled together closely, their bodies helping to keep warm with the chill in the air. Even Cullen snuck in during the night seeking warmer shelter. In the night, they were both plagued by terrible nightmares. For Temene, it was the same dream she always had. She was stuck in the middle of the darkspawn horde unable to move as the archdemon roared in front of her.

This time however, the archdemon seemed to pick her out the crowd. Its glossy black eyes stared into hers as it screeched loud enough to hurt her ears. As Temene tried to back away, the archdemon began to charge at her, throwing darkspawn aside. She woke up screaming "Stop!" at the top of her lungs, finding Alistair wide awake beside her.

"You had the same dream as I did?" he wondered, hugging her shoulder tightly. He could feel her heart racing through her skin. "It was almost like it saw me. I haven't had a nightmare like that for a while."

"The darkspawn can sense us right, so the archdemon must too? Does that mean it is closer or?" Temene wondered, letting her words trail off as she hugged Alistair tightly for comfort.

"What was that?" Alistair asked suddenly, sitting up slightly.

"What?" Temene asked.

"I thought I heard something."

"If something was out there Cullen would be barking," she replied just as Cullen began to bark on cue.

She grabbed a coat and pulled it around her naked body as Alistair hurried on a pair of pants and shirt. She slipped out of the tent but could see nothing in the darkness. The fire was burnt down to embers and smoldering. "I can't see anything," Alistair said as Cullen sniffed around furiously.

"Let me try something," Temene replied, forming a bright ball of light in her hands. She thrust the ball into the air, casting a pale light over the camp. The light shone on the dull metal of several creatures moving near the edge of camp. "We are under attack!" Temene yelled, casting wards of repulsion in either direction. "Wake up!" she yelled again. She let a fireball from her hands, turning to smoldering fire into an inferno.

Sten was up first, having finally taken to a tent for warmth but still fully dressed in his qunari armor. He ran towards the shadows on the edge of camp, yelling a qunari battle cry. It was only a small band of darkspawn but no one had been prepared to fight. Everyone seemed to suffer a little from the fight and tended to their wounds when the battle was done.

"They must have followed us from the Brecelian Forest," Alistair commented, while wrapping the hand that had been injured by his pommel.

"It was so frightening," Leliana added.

"We will need to fortify the camp," Sten replied. "We will need fortifications such as this," he added, beginning to draw in the dirt with his sword.

"We will get everything we need from Denerim tomorrow," Temene added, her arms wrapped around her. She was still disturbed by the nightmare she'd had. She'd never felt such fear and it pained her stomach.

No one slept, but just milled around the fire or edge of camp, keeping an eye out for another ambush. They headed towards Denerim at first light, tired but determined to seek better protection for the camp. They settled just outside the city and slipped in carefully to browse the markets. As they walked passed the various stalls, Alistair seemed more nervous than usual and seemed to be looking for something.

"Is everything alright?" Temene asked as he peeked over at a small cottage outside the main market.

"Um, yes of course," he replied.

"You seem, preoccupied," she commented.

"Well, remember how I mentioned a sister? I overheard one of the servants at Redcliffe say that she lived in Denerim now, in some house near the market."

"And you think that is the house?" she pointed.

"No, I have no idea. I suppose I could ask around, but, I don't know. It is silly. I've never met her but she is my sister, I just wonder," he rambled.

"You can look her up Alistair. It will probably take us a few days to gather all the supplies we need."

"Really?" he sighed.

She nodded and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Now, we need to find a good supply of cheese," she insisted.

They gathered what the could and returned to camp with their goods. Alistair made inquiries in the market about his sister and found her address. He asked Temene to come along in the morning and she agreed, seeing the nervousness in his eyes. The party slept better that night, still without fortification but close to the well guarded highway that was littered with camping refugees.

Temene and Alistair returned to the markets in the morning, heading to Goldanna's house first. She was a shrew and bitter woman who had nothing but disdain for Alistair. Temene almost struck her as she saw the disappointment in Alistair's eyes as Goldanna insisted that he was only good if he had coin to offer her. He left his sister's small house with his head lowered. "I am sorry," Temene finally spoke up as they wove their way through the crowded market.

"It's alright, I just, I guess I was just hoping. I don't know what I was hoping for."

"I too wish I had a family to speak of," she added. "It is perfectly natural to want such things. Some people are just, they only care about themselves. I've seen enough of that with the mages I've met in the Tower. You just have to keep your wits about you."

"You're right," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "You are the only family I need."

They returned back to camp after acquiring more supplies. They would need to bring Bodahn's wagon into the city in order to get their remaining supplies and to get the wheels fitted for the heavy snows they would be encountering. Alistair once again joined Temene in her tent after dinner. "I think I should just stay here, in your tent. I sleep much better next to you," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"You are more than welcome to," she replied. "But it is a little crowded in here. Maybe we could join the tents together somehow?"

"Joining tents, that is a big step," he laughed. "What will our companions say?"

"I don't think we've been hiding it well."

"Then I will shout to the world that I love you. Do you hear me Ferelden, I love this woman!" he yelled out.

"Shut up!" Morrigan yelled back a few moments later.

They both giggled and settled into bed for the night. Temene remained at camp in the morning, sorting out some of her things to make room for Alistair. He and Sten took the wagon into the city for the rest of their supplies. She unwrapped the sword she had found in Haven and looked over it. It felt different in her hand now and she had the suddenly feeling of familiarity with the sword. The ancient rune in the pommel read "Spellweaver."

She lashed the sword around for a moment, taking swipes at the air. The movements seemed natural yet still filled with the power of magic. Alistair returned with Sten and the rest of their supplies as she continued waving the sword around. "What are you doing?" Alistair asked with a grin on his face.

"This sword I found in Haven. It is a mage's sword," she replied. "The spirit, the arcane warrior I met, must have used something similar. I wish we had time to stop by the Circle Tower to research it further."

"I've never heard of mages using swords before," he said.

"Strike towards me with your sword," she asked.

"What?" he replied in a shocked tone.

"I want to try something."

"Um, alright," he said, sliding his sword out slowly.

He took a very light swing at her in a playful fashion. "Alistair, don't patronize me," she frowned.

"I don't want to hurt you," he smiled.

"Please," she insisted. "Call it an experiment."

"Fine," he grumbled, raising his sword again.

He struck towards her with more force and she quickly parried his blow. "That's good," he responded, swinging at her again.

They fought for a short while, much to the amusement of their party. Alistair joked that they needed to find her a nice set of armor now. Temene still felt more comfortable with her staff, but would keep practicing with her sword for good measure. The wagon was packed to the brim with supplies and they even acquired an extra oxen to help with the burden. It would take almost a week to reach Orzamar, depending on how the weather faired.  
> <p>


	40. Collapse

The Wardens headed west from Denerim towards the Frostback Mountains. Winter came in full force, making their journey an miserable one. They were well supplied with warmer clothing and the rolled fencing they had purchased to fortify the camp acted as a wind break at times. Nevertheless, it was slow going along the muddy roads and they were frequently hampered by storms as they neared the mouth of the mountains.

As the party climbed through Gherlen's Pass, their heavy wagon was waylaid in the snow for nearly two days as they attempted to dig themselves out. They had to carry some items on their back the rest of the way in order to keep the wagon from sinking into the growing snow drifts. Needless to say, when the Wardens arrived at the gates of Orzamar, they were in an unhappy mood.

Bodahn and Sandal remained outside with the other trader stalls as the rest of the party entered the city. There was no welcome for the outsiders and almost an outright hostility as the went through the gates. They heard whispers of civil war among the dwarves which dampened their spirits even more. When they made their way through the Hall of Heroes into the proper city, they caught of glimpse of the turmoil the city was in.

Men fought among themselves, yelling the names of the men they supported. The Wardens could only stand and watch the city guards pull the men apart. "You all must be pretty important if the gate guards let you though. And with a golem no less," the captain of the guard sighed at them as several dwarves were hauled away dead.

"We are Grey Wardens, come to seek aid against the Blight," Temene answered. "What is going on here?"

"The near collapse of the dwarven kingdom," the guard replied. "King Endrin passed to the stone not long ago and there is a dispute about who should take his place. Without a king, we have this chaos."

Temene shot Alistair an annoyed look, remembering what he'd joked about in Haven. "Who do we speak to about the dwarven army?" Alistair asked, avoiding Temene's glance.

"The Assembly grants leave of the army but they have been arguing about the king since Endrin passed. Your best bet is to speak with the sodders who would be king, namely Prince Bhelen and the man arguing against his claim to the throne, Lord Harrowmont."

"Why is Harrowmont disputing the Prince's right of lineage?" Alistair asked.

"Harrowmont claims that King Endrin wanted him to succeed in Bhelen's place. The prince isn't exactly anyone's first choice of king."

"Where can we find these men?" Temene sighed, feeling a headache coming on. She'd prayed they'd find no trouble in Orzamar but it looked like it would be worse than expected.

"Both the palace and Lord Harrowmont's estate are in the Diamond Quarter, that way, you can't miss it," the guard pointed.

As they headed through the city towards the Diamond Quarter, Shale remarked on the lack of winged beasts in the city and how glad it made her, despite all the strange looks she was being given. They entered the grand Diamond Quarter, which smelled much better than the outer city. The stone carvings were more intricate and the streets free of litter and debris. They inquired to Lord Harrowmont's estate first, wishing to hear why he disputed the prince's rule.

They were met by the Lord's advisor, Dulin who barred them some speaking with the Lord. "He can trust no one in this troubled times," Dulin replied.

"But we are outsiders, what purpose would we have to harm him?" Temene asked, exasperated.

"You do not know the depths to which Bhelen would sink. Coins speaks louder than words here in Orzamar. People will do anything for money."

"But we are trying to save people from the Blight!" Temene groaned slightly, pressing her palm to her forehead.

"The Blight means little to us here. We deal with the darkspawn every day in the Deep Roads," Dulin replied. "If you can gain the Lord's trust, I'd be happy to let him speak with you."

"And you have some sort of way to do that?" Temene asked with disdain.

"Prince Bhelen is holding a Proving, supposedly to honor his father. He's been interfering with Harrowmont's fighters, among other schemes. If you could unravel these schemes and perhaps enter the Proving as Harrowmont's Champion, I could be assured that you weren't working for Bhelen."

"What and the Maker is a Proving?" Temene asked regretfully.

"It a rounded fight to the death. It tests the skills of battle of our warriors and honors our ancestors."

Temene said nothing, walking away holding her head. "Are you alright?" Alistair asked, walking after her.

"You had to say it," she tried to laugh, nearly in tears. "What are we going to do? We don't have time for all of this again."

"Perhaps we can get Prince Bhelen's opinion," Alistair replied. "See if he can honor the treaty."

"Fine, the sooner we get out of this city, they better," Temene sighed, her nose tired of the stale air.  
> <p>


	41. Mourning Sickness

The Wardens left the Harrowmont estate to seek out Bhelen. The prince was not entertaining guests, but they were told to make an inquiry with his second, Vartag, in the Chamber of the Assembly. "What happened to your golem?" Vartag asked rudely as they approached.

A low growl could be heard from Shale but she said nothing. "Are you Vartag? We were told to speak with you regarding Prince Bhelen," Temene asked.

"Oh, you must be the Grey Wardens the city is talking about," Vartag replied.

"We would like to speak with Prince Bhelen about the treaties to aid against the Blight," Alistair asked.

"Yeah, I've seen them, but the Prince is in no position to honor them. The Assembly is too busy with all of this business with that idiot Harrowmont blocking Bhlen's ascension," Vartag replied.

"Could we bring our plea directly to the Assembly?" Temene wondered.

"No, they have withdrawn until they can vote on a King. If you want aid against the Blight, you'd be better served getting Bhelen on the throne," Vartag suggested.

"We will do anything to gain the allies we need," Temene shook her head in frustration.

"If we lower Harrowmont's standing in the Assemby, Bhelen can force a vote and get elected, then you'll have your troops. I've been gathering information on Harrowmont. Give me another day to track some things down," he replied.

"Fine, we will return tomorrow," Temene replied.

As they left the Assembly hall, Temene swooned for a moment. "You look very pale, perhaps we should get you back to camp so you can lie down?" Wynne asked, a look of concern on her face.

"I'm fine, it's just the air in here," Temene held her head.

"No, you look ghastly," Alistair insisted, placing a hand on her forehead to check for fever. "Come on, we will have to wait for Vartag's information until tomorrow anyway."

They returned outside to their camp where the fresh air did Temene some good, though the growing nausea in her stomach persisted. She walked near the edge of camp to retch. "Are you sure you are alright?" Wynne asked, coming up behind her. "You aren't pregnant are you? I know you and Alistair have been, intimate," Wynne paused.

"I don't know," Temene replied, holding her stomach.

"Have you been taking precautions? Alistair is a sensitive man, I wouldn't want to see him," Wynne said before Temene interrupted.

"I don't need a lecture right now!" Temene snapped. "I love Alistair and if I have to, I will fight the darkspawn with a babe on my back," she added, retching again.

Temene returned to her tent to lie down and Alistair joined her with a wet rag to cool her head. "I am guessing breakfast didn't agree with you," he tried to smile, stroking her hair lovingly.

"Wynne seems to think I am pregnant. I know most mages take a potion to prevent such things but we haven't been so cautious," Temene smiled slightly, still plagued with nausea.

"I don't think that's possible," Alistair replied. "I've heard that taking in the taint makes you nearly unable to conceive and with the both of us," he trailed off.

"Oh," Temene replied, with slight disappointment in her voice. "It would have been a great inconvenience anyways," she added, trying to hide her feelings.

"Can I get you anything else?" Alistair asked.

"So cool water perhaps."

Alistair left the tent to fetch water, leaving Temene alone with her thoughts. She never imagined she would be unable to conceive a child, not that she had thought about it frequently. The feeling gnawed at her stomach for a while, making her feel worse. She figured then that she must be coming down with something and tried to rest as much as possible.

Alistair returned with a mug of water and some hot broth. She sipped only a little, her stomach still feeling restless. It was only late afternoon but she managed to rest until the next morning. Alistair stayed at her side, checking on her fever every so often. As much as he believe it impossible, he liked the idea of being a father, especially with Temene. He dreamed of retelling Duncan's stories to his child and watching him grow up. 


	42. The Dwarves and the Giant

Alistair woke Temene in the morning, inquiring about how she felt. The evening's rest had done her good but she still felt nauseous. He insisted she remain at camp while they sought out Vartag's information. Wynne stayed behind to look after Temene as Alistair returned to the city with the rest of the party. "Are you feeling any better today?" Wynne asked, coming into Temene's tent.

"I still feel sick to my stomach and weak all over," Temene replied.

"Would you like me to check for you?" Wynne asked.

"Check what?"

"If you are with child. We mages have tests for everything."

"Alistair told me those infected with the taint have a difficult time conceiving," Temene replied.

"We can be sure at least," Wynne said.

"Very well, what do I have to do?" Temene sat up.

"I will prepare some herbs. You will only have to relieve yourself on them."

Wynne helped Temene out of the tent and sat her down by the fire as she prepared the herbs in a mortar. She poured them in an inconspicuous area so that Temene could urinate on them. They waited around the fire for a moment longer before Wynne confirmed Temene was not pregnant. "You know I really do love him and would never hurt him," Temene finally said, hunched over and holding her belly.

"I know, it is just habit to question the relations of mages. We aren't known for our monogamous habits," Wynne replied. "He looks on you with nothing but admiration and love. I am very happy for you two."

"Do you think he is right? That I will never conceive?" Temene asked.

"I know not how the taint changes the Wardens. I can't imagine it does you any good besides sensing darkspawn."

Temene sighed and struggled to her feet, shuffling back to her tent to lie down again. Meanwhile, Alistair and the rest of the party were gathering the information Vartag had given them. He handed them some papers of property transfers signed by Harrowmont and authorized by the Shaperate. The papers promised the same land to two different parties. As they left the assembly hall with the evidence in hand, a young woman ran towards them. "You are the Grey Wardens right?" the girl asked.

"Um, yes, I am a Grey Warden," Alistair replied.

"I'm Orta of the Ortan clan. Do you ever go into the Deep Roads?" she asked.

"When we reach the end of our lives yes."

"Oh, then I was misinformed," Orta said with a look of disappointment.

"Misinformed about what?" Alistair asked, affected by the girl's disappointed look.

"The papers of the Ortan clan were lost in the Thaigs years ago. My family has lost all right to our nobility. I was hoping to find someone who goes into the Deep Roads to look for them. Come, let me show you my research," she replied, leading them towards the Shaperate.

She showed them the paperwork but Alistair couldn't promise anything. He felt sorry for the girl and promised to help her as much as he could. Morrigan returned with a sneer, the property papers in hand. "While you were digging a hole of promises with that girl, I found out something very interesting," Morrigan said.

"Would you care to share then?" Alistair mocked, nervous without Temene there to act as a buffer between him and Morrigan.

"I showed these papers to the man that would have authorized them, the Shaper, and he says they are forgeries," Morrigan replied.

"What does that mean?"

"That the Prince's man Vartag is trying to set up Lord Harrowmont. Perhaps if we bring this evidence to the Lord, he will give us the aid we seek."

"You know, you aren't as evil as you seem," Alistair said.

"No, I just want to get out of this dank cesspool," Morrigan replied.

They returned to the Harrowmont estate but Dulin woud still not let them enter. "I understand this is a goodwill gesture on your behalf but you just admitted that you were in contact with Bhelen's Second," Dulin replied.

"Temene is lucky she is sick," Alistair shook his head.

"I thought Wynne said she was pregnant?" Leliana asked.

"She just, no, well, we don't know for sure," he replied nervously.

"This is pointless," Sten grumbled. "I will fight anyone I have to so we can get to the archdemon. I will fight the little men in the Proving."

Dulin didn't exactly seemed pleased at a Qunari entering the fight but there were no rules against it. They went to the Proving Arena immediately to get Sten signed up before the fights started. The fighters stood little chance against the towering giant. While the dwarven fighters had speed and agility, Sten's powerful blows took them down in an instant. Sten took no glory in his victory and simply returned to camp to eat dinner and train Cullen.

Alistair went immediately to check on Temene. She had become feverish and was sleeping fitfully. Alistair brought another rag to cool her forehead. She woke up sick and he had to help her outside to vomit. "Are you going to be alright?" Alistair asked when he returned her to bed.

"I will be fine in a few days," she sighed.

"But if you're, well, you could still be," he mumbled.

"I'm not," she replied. "Wynne made sure of it."

"Oh, I see. You should rest regardless then," he added. "Sten won the Proving. We can meet with Harrowmont in the morning. We should have our allies in a few days."

"Finally some good news," she closed her eyes. 


	43. Burnin' Love

Temene didn't sleep through the night. She was still feverish and woke up sick so many times she left the tent so Alistair didn't keep waking up with her. She crawled out to vomit again, dry heaving violently because she had nothing left to expel. She cried for a moment from sheer exhaustion and exertion. She hadn't been so ill since she was just a young girl. When her nausea finally subsided, she crawled towards the fire to sit down in the cool air. Morrigan was still awake and sat watching her. "So that idiot Alistair got you pregnant?" Morrigan grinned widely.

"No," Temene frowned. "I am just ill and he isn't an idiot. Do you ever have anything nice to say?" she snapped. "I am tired of you being so rude to him."

"Well, I'm just relieved there won't be screaming brat in the camp," Morrigan narrowed her eyes and stood to go to her tent. Temene stayed outside for a while longer, making sure she wouldn't get sick again. She didn't care if she offended Morrigan by yelling at her. She would no longer allow her to browbeat Alistair.

She finally returned to her tent and curled up next to him. She hoped the worst was over and slept late into the morning as her fever finally broke. Alistair tried his best not to wake her in the morning but she stirred nonetheless. "Get some more rest," he knelt over her, brushing a hand across her face.

"I do not want to miss the meeting with Lord Harrowmont. I am feeling better," she replied.

"You don't look better," he laughed slightly at her paled face and disheveled hair.

She frowned at him and tried to smooth her hair down with her hand. "Fine, if you want to come you can stay for a moment, then it is back to bed," he insisted.

He helped her get dressed and combed through her hair before wrapping a thick cloak around her. They entered the city again and went directly to Harrowmont's estate. He finally greeted them and relayed the current situation for them. Since Sten's victory at the Proving, Bhelen had forced the Assembly to dictate a date for a final vote on who to elect king. They would have one week until the Assembly vote.

"I understand that regardless of who is king, you may get your troops, but you have already seen the depths to with Bhelen will sink," Harrowmont added. "But I do not think Bhelen will be a valuable and just ruler for Orzamar and can only ask for your support and vow to give you the aid you seek if I am elected."

"What is the problem in the Assembly?" Temene wondered quietly.

"Bhelen and myself have nearly an equal amount of supporters. This is why the Assembly has stalemated so far. I would need something great to sway the vote."

"What sort of thing?" Alistair asked.  
>"There is one remaining Paragon living in Ozramar, the great smith, Branka. She left to explore the Deep Roads two years ago and has not been seen since. Her support of a king would overwhelm the Assembly."<p>

"If she hasn't been seen for two years, how do you know she is still alive?" Morrigan asked.

"I do not, but it is the only thing I believe will turn the tide. Paragons are the greatest of our kind. If anyone could survive in the Deeps Roads, it would be Branka."

"But we'd only have a week to find her," Temene replied.

"If need be, I could delay the vote for a few more days with motions and hearings. If the Assembly knows you are bringing Branka back, they will wait."

Temene sighed with frustration and closed her eyes. "If you would allow us to discuss this among our party," Alistair cast a concerned look at her.

"Of course," Harrowmont excused himself.

"Come and sit down," Alistair said, pulling Temene towards a chair. She sunk into the hard stone with another heavy sigh.

"I say we let the assembly vote and receive our aid after that," Morrigan replied. "We need not run off into the Deep Roads."

"But what about the wishes of the king and the forgeries Bhelen's man to tried to pass off? Surely we could help the city by helping electing a strong and honest ruler," Wynne replied.

"Temene?" Alistair asked as she sat slumped in the chair.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "Harrowmont seems a good man and if Bhelen has attempted to use sneaky measure against him, he may turn his back on our treaty as well," she began. "But digging around in the Deep Roads doesn't sound like an ideal plan to me. That is where Grey Wardens go to die. And I believe interfering in dwarven politics is not something we are supposed to do."

"If we find this paragon, maybe she can decide for us. If she agrees that Harrowmont is the best choice, she can support him or elect Bhelen," Alistair replied.

"We will need supplies," Temene added, rubbing her hand across her temple.

"I will gather what we need. You should stay here in the city and rest," he said, holding her shoulder.  
>"I will be fine in a day or two. I think the worst is over."<p>

The nausea had left her but she still felt listless and weak all over. Alistair called Lord Harrowmont back in and announced their plans. Harrowmont invited them to stay at the estate. "You look terribly ill my lady, I have prepared a room so you may rest out of the cold," he added, looking at Temene huddled in the chair.

"Come on, you should get back to bed," Alistair replied, helping her out the chair.

Harrowmont had several rooms prepared for them and had the servants begin a large meal for the Wardens. Alistair helped Temene to the largest room and put her back into bed. "I'd like to take a bath," Temene asked, seeing the large stone tub in the room. "I must smell horribly."

"Nothing that would offend me," Alistair smiled.

He asked for hot water to be brought in and left her to bathe while he searched for something delicate for her to try to eat. She'd already lost a little weight from being ill, but on her small frame it showed severely. He returned with some pressed juice and fruit, which was hard to find in the dwarven city. He cut slices of the fruit for her as she soaked. "I hope you don't get sick," she smiled, as he massaged her wet hair. "These things usually catch on."

"Well, I haven't been sneaking kisses at night," he grinned.

"You've taken such impeccable care of me. At the Circle, they'd only bring you a pot to retch in and stew that tasted like a boiled boot."

"Of course I would. I love you more than anything," he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"And I love you more than everything," she squeezed his hand.

He helped her out and returned her to bed once again, sliding next to her warmed skin. It was again a relief to sleep in a normal bed. She was grateful for him at her side and slept well finally. They would began making preparations to enter the Deep Roads as soon as possible. 


	44. Pocket Full of Sausages

The Wardens packed up and prepared to leave for the Deep Roads the next day. Alistair insisted that Temene rest while he took care of all the remaining preparations. She had begun to feel better but guessed venturing into the Deep Roads would do her no good. She remained at Lord Harrowmont's estate and busied herself mending some torn clothes.

A dwarf came searching for the Grey Wardens at the Harrowmont estate and was brought to Temene. "What can I do for you?" Temene asked, wrapping a string of thick thread around her hand.

"Yeah, I am looking for the Grey Wardens," the dwarf slurred. "Have you seen any of those guys around?"

"I am a Grey Warden," Temene replied, placing the thread into a small pouch.

"You?" the dwarf laughed as he looked at Temene. She gave him a stern look in response to his laughter. "Really, an elf?" he added in a more serious tone.

"I am also a mage," Temene replied.

"Well, regardless of who you are, the name is Oghren. I heard you were going to look for Branka and I think I should come with you," he added.

"And why is that?"

"Well, I used to be married to Branka. If anyone can track her down, I can. I know what she was looking for in the Deep Roads."

"What was it?"

"She was searching for the Anvil of the Void. It was used to create the golems long ago. She figured it was somewhere near Caridin's Cross."

"And you think she could have survived this long in the Deep Roads?"

"She didn't go alonge she took here entire house with her. Well, except me."

"I would have to discuss the matter with my companions when they return."

"That's fine," Oghren replied. "Say, you wouldn't mind if I ate some of this food. It looks like it is going to waste."

"Be my guest," Temene replied, leaving the room to fetch a piece of cloth to repair a large rip in Alistair's coat.  
>She went to her room to sort through some old cloth that could be used. "What does that man do in this thing?" she wondered as she tried to match up a scrap with the large hole. It looked as if something had torn the pocket nearly off. Cullen woke up and began sniffing at the pocket. "What is it?" Temene asked the dog.<p>

She brought the pocket to her nose and could smell distinct traces of smoky sausage on the fabric. Alistair returned to the room with a bundle of supplies in his arms. "What happened to your pocket?" Temene asked, holding up the coat. "Have you been sneaking sausages to Cullen?"

"Um, no," Alistair replied, setting the supplies down with a guilty look on his face. She cast back a look of disapproval until he crumbled. "Alright, alright, I had some sausages in my pocket and Cullen grabbed it. We were having fun until the pocket ripped."

"Play tug of war with something that you don't need to keep you warm next time," Temene shook her head.

"Sorry," Alistair replied sheepishly.

Leliana peeked her head into the room, making sure she wasn't interrupting them. "There is a dwarf in the main hall passed out and no one knows who he is," Leliana remarked.

"What?" Temene replied, returning to the hall.

Oghren had ignored all the food left out and had gone straight for the casks of wine, which were now empty. He lie face down on the floor with a happy grin. "Wake up dwarf," Temene called out, kicking him gently with her boot.

He didn't wake but only groaned a little. "He is Branka's husband apparently," Temene looked back up at her companions. "He says he knows where she had gone and wants to come with us."

"But he is a drunk," Morrigan replied.

"We will just have to keep him sober then," Alistair replied. "We will need all the help we can get trying to track down one dwarf in the ruins before the Assembly vote."

"Did you get everything we need?" Temene asked.

"Yes, we can leave in the morning," Alistair replied. "If the dwarf ever wakes up, perhaps he can look at the maps Harrowmont provided us."

Oghren finally stirred, hungry and ready to resume drinking again. Temene had removed all the wine from the room to avoid another incident. Oghren looked at the maps and drew them a route that would lead them along the likely paths Branka would have taken. He seemed please to be coming along, especially when he saw Morrigan and her threadbare robes. 


	45. Greased Nugs

The Wardens and their newfound dwarven guide headed out into the Deep Roads the next day. The air was even more stale and damp than the city. Temene abhorred the place and couldn't wait to get out. They followed the route Oghren had drawn them, finding only a few spiders and deep stalkers along the way. They made good progress through the thaig and camped just outside Caridin's Cross.

Shale watched the edge of camp, stomping on any beasties that dared come near. "Where did you ever find a golem?" Oghren wondered.

"She was being kept down south in a village called Honnleath. I do not know how the mage that kept her acquired her however," Temene replied.

"She?" Oghren asked.

"Yes, I believe so," Temene added. "She has never said as much outright, but I can tell." Oghren looked slightly confused but continued eating.

They slept restlessly through the night, despite Shale watching over the camp. They hadn't brought tents and slept in the open around the fire. The constant cry of deepstalkers or another small collapse in a ruined tunnel kept the air from remaining quiet. Alistair and Temene slept beside each other, snuggled tightly together. When they shared a few long kisses before bed, Oghren could be heard snickered slightly in a suggestive manner.

"So you and the elf?" he elbowed Alistair as they were preparing to pack up in the morning.

"What about her?" Alistair asked.

"How long have you two been greasing nugs together? It is a Grey Warden thing or what?'

"Ew, that is disgusting," Alistair frowned at the crude term.

"Come on man, you're traveling around with a bunch of hot women. I mean, even the old one has some character," Oghren laughed.

"Go away!" Alistair frowned, covering his ears and walking away.

Everyone packed up and they continued on through the ruined highways. They passed through Caridin's Cross but still saw no evidence of Branka or her house. "She was going to search Ortan thaig as well," Oghren explained as they sat resting and planning their next path. "Caridin was an Ortan before becoming a Paragon. I bet we will find something there."

"You said we would find something here," Morrigan replied angrily, holding her sore feet.

"I said we might be able to see evidence of Branka passing through," he challenged her.

"Let's just get moving," Temene interrupted, already annoyed with their journey. Despite the vents that provided the tunnels with air, it was dank nonetheless and felt oppresive. They shared torch duty and the smell of the fuel on them had started to get to Temene. She was tired from not sleeping well and still a little weak from being ill.

They moved on and got well into Ortan thaig before resting for the night. They'd lost half a day wandering around and Temene was visibly upset. "Maybe we should stop following Oghren," Alistair said quietly to Temene as they ate. Oghren had gone off, chasing Cullen for the last piece of dried meat.

"If Branka was searching for the Anvil that is where we will find her, dead or alive. We just need evidence of where she has been," Temene frowned as she heard Oghren yelling at the dog.

She continued eating until Oghren ran back several minutes later holding a large book, Cullen chasing after him. "Ha ha, well have a look at what your mutt found!" Oghren laughed, tossing the dusty book down.

"What is it?" Alistair asked, picking the book up.

"Branka's diary. That should tell us everything we need to know," Oghren replied.

"Look, a map and everything," Alistair said in a pleased tone. "It says here that she believes the Anvil was built in some place called the Dead Trenches."

"That doesn't exactly sound like a fun place," Leliana frowned.

"That is where the Legion of the Dead live. Crazy sodders who give up everything they own to fight the darkspawn," Oghren replied.

"Would they be able to help us find Branka?" Temene asked.

"Doubtful. All they care about is killing darkspawn."

"We should seek them out, nonetheless," Temene replied. "Even if they can only tell us if she passed."

With the new information and map on hand, Temene hoped they would be able to make a lot of progress in the morning. Sleep came a little easier only from pure exhaustion. Shale seemed content and pleased to guard the camp, getting the opportunity to crush as many squishy things as she liked. 


	46. A Princess, A Paragon, and A Broodmother

The Wardens made good progress in the morning, making their way to the Dead Trenches. They never expected to see the archdemon so soon, but as they came to a great gorge in the tunnels, they heard its terrifying roar. Both Alistair and Temene stopped in their tracks, the horrible roar burned into their nightmares. They peered cautiously down into the gorge, spying the great dragon at the head of a large horde.

"This can't be good. We need to return to the surface as soon as possible," Temene whispered, her eyes wide with terror.

They hurried across the bridge and continued following Branka's map with a new sense of urgency. They found the Legion of the Dead fighting off a small horde of darkspawn, guarding the entrance to the main thaig. The Wardens stopped to rest and speak with their leader, Kardol, after dispatching the darkspawn. He could offer them little assistance, telling them it was a fool's venture to pass the point they defended on a constant basis. "Why do you outsiders seek Branka anyway?" he asked.

"King Endrin has passed away and the Assembly cannot decide on a new king," Alistair replied. "If we are to receive the army we need to defeat the Blight, one must be elected."

"We can do nothing for you but cut off the retreat once you kill the archdemon," Kardol replied. "I wish you good luck Wardens."

As the Legion left them, one of the female Legionaires lingered behind. "How did the king pass?" she asked.

"Some suspect poison, others say he died from the heartache of losing his two eldest children," Temene replied.

"I would expect no less from my brother Bhelen," the dwarf added with a sigh.

"Princess Sereda, is that you? I hardly recognized you," Oghren added with a slight laugh. Her face bore the ghoulish tattoos of the other Legionaires.

"You are the king's daughter?' Temene asked.

"I was," Sereda answered. "I am an Aeducan no longer, though I would do anything to keep Bhelen from the throne."

"Lord Harrowmont believes that only a Paragon's voice will break the Assembly's deadlock. That is why we seek Branka," Temene replied.

"Harrowmont is a good man. I do not know if the Legion will have me back if I leave, but I will go with you. I know these roads well," Sereda answered.

"Thank you," Temene added.

They moved on with their new guide and soon stumbled into the first sign of Branka's house. A dwarven woman sat repeating the same words, rocking back and forth. "I didn't think anyone could survive beyond our hold," Sereda said. The woman looked touched by the darkspawn corruption and near death. "Are you alright?" Wynne approached cautiously, not knowing if the woman was stable or not.

"I've never seen anything like this," Alistair looked at her. "She looks dead but she is clearly alive."

"Her name is Hespith, she was part of Branka's house," Oghren added.

"What happened to Branka?" Temene asked.

The woman said nothing but continued repeating herself. "I don't like the sound of this," Sereda said, looking concerned.

"We must continue regardless of what may be in our path," Temene replied.

Not much further on they encountered the horrific creature Hespith spoke about, the disgusting broodmother that birthed darkspawn lie in a filth-ridden cave. She called darkspawn to protect her, as she had little defense with no mobility. It was difficult to maneuver around the tentacles burrowed into the ground but Temene had grown quite adept with a sword and could freeze then slash at the tentacles until they fell.

Everyone was weary after the battle but they pressed on with urgency after seeing the archdemon leading the horde. As they passed through the thaig, a voice called to them from above. "I've been waiting for someone to come looking for me. And with Oghren of all people," the voice said.

"Branka, by my ancestors, that is Branka's voice," Oghren said.

"Oghren," Branka jumped down from a ledge above them. "I was starting to wonder if anyone would come until I heard the broodmother's cries."

"We could have used your help," Temene replied.

"You managed as I can see," Branka replied. "Has the king sent for me? I recognize his daughter."

"I am his daugther no more," Sereda replied. "I serve the Legion."

"Well, regardless of your errand, I will not leave until I find the Anvil. I've gotten this far but Caridin seems to have lain traps ahead. That means the Anvil is close. I will need your help to get past them."

They rested for the night at Branka's camp. Branka predicted that once they got past the traps and to the Anvil, they could be back in Orzamar in three days. Everyone else went to sleep but Alistair remained awake as he lie beside Temene. "Are you still awake?" he asked quietly as he touched her side.

She had nearly fallen asleep when he roused her, but she answered yes. "Have you thought any about what will come after this?" he wondered.

"What do you mean?' she replied. "We have gathered our allies and wait for the archdemon to appear."

"I mean us and the Wardens," he replied.

"We will have to rebuild the Wardens if we are able to end the Blight. I think we should see about hunting down as many broodmothers as well can. As for us, we can do whatever we wish afterwards, right?" she smiled.

"Yes, I suppose," he feigned a smile.

"What is the matter? What brought this up?" she wondered, gently stroking his face.

"It just worried me when you were ill. I couldn't bear to lose you. And seeing the archdemon, what if we don't survive the Blight?"

"We can only do our best. If we aren't able to stop it, our allies will be able to. And I'd never leave you so easily," she smiled and gave him a kiss. Despite her kind words, his mind was still not at ease. He thought about other things that troubled his mind and he didn't sleep well. 


	47. Ends

Temene woke up early in the morning with something awkwardly sticking in her back. Alistair lie pressed against her and she realized he'd become aroused sometime during the night. She turned over gingerly and gently woke him. "Alistair," she said softly.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her, realizing quickly why she had awoken him. "Sorry, I was having a dream," he whispered, his cheeks blushing.

She smiled warmly and gave him a kiss. "That's okay. We haven't had a lot of alone time with all this king business and me being sick," she grinned, as she stroked his thigh under his bedroll.

"You don't mean, now, here at camp with everyone around," he whispered as her fingers raked around his groin.

"Everyone else is asleep," she said, raising her head a little to confirm that everyone else was still fast asleep. "We will have to be quiet."

"I think I can manage that," he whispered, pressing his lips against hers.

She pulled the furs over the both of them as they fumbled to pull away the clothes they slept in. They tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as they made love side by side, moving only a little and stifling their heavy breaths with each others' kisses. They languished in each others arms as the camp began to stir. Wynne got up first and stoked the fire as the Wardens lie grinning at their quick encounter. They got up casually as if nothing had happened and began working on breakfast.  
>"Where is Branka?" Temene asked Shale, who was busy polishing the crystals on her arms.<p>

"Not that I care where that hag went, but she headed in that direction," Shale pointed. "She spent the entire night asking me senseless questions," she added with a groan.

Branka returned a little while later, explaining that she'd gone to survey the path ahead of them before they set off. They ate quickly and headed out towards the first set of traps Branka had already seen. They were basic at first and easy to spot but as they moved on they found themselves trapped in a small cavern with a sinister looking device, Branka nowhere to be seen. The room was full on ominous energy that gave Temene the chills. A few dwarven bodies lie close to the center of the room. "I don't like this at all," Temene shook her head, looking for a way out.

The device came to life suddenly, spreading a noxious gas from its many mouths. "We have to stay back," Wynne coughed, as the gas drifted near.

Another wave of energy rumbled from the device as several spirits suddenly appeared from the poisonous fog. "It is producing spirit energy," Morrigan yelled at the other mages. "We have to drain it," she added, as the spirits rushed towards them.

Alistair tried to dispel the spirits as the mages worked to drain the energy from the magical device. They fought until they were exhausted and finally managed to disable the device. "I have never seen something as this," Sereda exclaimed.

"It must be made of lyrium," Temene replied. "Even though dwarves do not have the power of magic, they can still manipulate it. Someone powerful must have made this."

"It was Caridin himself," Branka finally appeared from behind the door that had opened once again.

"You left us in here to die!" Morrigan yelled at her.

"I was fairly confident in your abilities and I wasn't wrong," Branka replied with emotion and headed towards the door.

"You sent others in here before us. Those that lie right there," Temene asked in an accusatory tone.

"I needed someone to get through the traps so I could reach the Anvil. They gave their lives so I can finally restore the kingdom to its former glory," Branka replied, slipping out the other door.

"We need to keep an eye on her," Temene said, casting her eyes on Alistair. "She is dangerous."

They moved on, finding that no other traps stood in their way towards the Anvil of the Void. They followed a trail of darkspawn corpses to their source, Caridin himself, transformed into a steel golem. As he crushed a Shriek in his hands, the Wardens came upon him. "Living souls, here?" Caridin asked. "How did you come here?"

"By my ancestors, Caridin himself," Oghren bowed slightly.

"We are Grey Wardens. Orzamar has no king and we seek the aid of a Paragon," Temene replied.

"And I am here for the Anvil," Branka added.

"I have spent countless years keeping the darkspawn from this place and guarding the Anvil, insuring that it is never used again," Caridin responded.

"Why do you prevent it?" Alistair asked.

"It is madness," Branka added.

"The price of creating golems is too high," Caridin began. "No man has the power to create life, so one must be given in order to create a golem, such as the one that stands beside you. I remember you, Shalye of House Cadash."

"You, know me?" Shale asked.

"You were one of the first volunteers and the only woman to become a golem. But it was not good enough for the king I served. When no more volunteers applied, the king began taking drastic measures. When I refused to make any more golems from unwilling participants, he had been placed inside the shell you see now."

"You are saying Shale used to be a dwarf?" Temene asked.

"The shard of each spirit is placed into a golem. It is only with a control rod that they lose what will remains," Caridin answered.

"No, I must have the Anvil," Branka yelled. "No one will stop me," she added, running off towards the Anvil. It sat atop a high hill that overlooked the molten pit below.

"Please, you must help me destoy the Anvil before she begins another cycle of needless death," Caridin pleaded.

"Why have you not destroyed it, after all this time?" Temene asked, keeping an eye on Branka as she climbed the hill.

"In this form, I cannot touch the Anvil," Caridin replied. "I beg you to destroy it."

"We have to stop her," Temene nodded, heading up the hill. "Stop!" she yelled as she approached Branka.

"You won't stop me," Branka swung around quickly with her axe.

Temene jumped out of the way, sending a shock from her palm that stunned Branka. "No!" Branka yelled, pulling something else off her back. Temene recognized it as a control rod similar to the one she'd been given. Branka activated the rod, awakening several golems that lie inert in the cavern.

Temene had to dodge again as one of the golems smashed its fist down near her. They tried to contend with Branka and the golems as best they could, but the golems had great defense against physical damage and Branka fought viciously with maddening rage. Temene tried to draw the golems towards the pit and froze them temporarily. She didn't have the energy to force them over the edge, but Shale quickly rammed them over the edge, despite her smaller size.

With only Branka left to contend with, Oghren begged her to calm down. "Where did all your sense go woman? You aren't the woman I married!" he yelled as she swung at him. "This Anvil has driven you mad!"

"The best thing I ever did was leave you behind," Branka yelled, swinging her axe towards him, nearly catching his beard. He stumbled backwards and she lunged at him, nearly striking a killing blow down on him before Alistair thrust his sword into her side.

She stood motionless, her arms still poised over Oghren and fell over dead as Alistair pulled his sword out. "You son of a bitch," Oghren yelled. "You saved my life. She was really going to kill me," he spat.

"Um, you are welcome," Alistair sighed, exhausted from the battle.

"Thank you," Caridin added, no longer under the effects of the control rod.

"Well, now we are back where we started," Morrigan sighed. "We came all the way for her and she is dead."

"Are you crazy girl?" Oghren laughed. "We have another Paragon standing right in front of us."

"Could you return to Orzamar with us?" Temene asked, trying to staunch a wound on her arm.

"My place is here with the Anvil and my life has gone on too long. I only wish to see it destroyed," he replied. "But seeing as you are just, I leave the decision of king in your hands. I will forge a crown of the greatest metals which you may give to the ruler of your choice. I trust you will make the right decision."

"Thank you," Alistair replied.

As the party rested and recovered from their wounds, Caridin began his last task as a smith. He worked quickly but with extreme skill, forging an intricate crowning from brilliant silver metals. As he handed it to Temene, she was caught off balance by its weight. "Now, only one task remains until I can be at peace," Caridin replied, handing a large hammer to Oghren. "Honor our ancestors by destroying that which has enslaved so many of us unjustly."

"I will go to the stone with the honor of meeting you," Oghren nodded and approached the Anvil.

For as strong as it looked, it shattered from only one blow. "Yeah!" Oghren cheered, raising the hammer above his head.

"And so it is done," Caridin replied. "There is a passage," he motioned. "It will take you directly back to Orzamar. I have spent my life hewing it with my own hands."

He turned away from them and walked towards the fiery pit. "Thank you Grey Wardens," he replied before leaping off the side.

They stood stunned for a moment at his sudden departure and their utter exhaustion. They decided to rest in the cavern and regain their strength and return to Orzamar in the morning. Shale seemed overly preoccupied and paced around the cavern as everyone else rested. "I think the worst is finally over," Alistair sighed, trying to get the fire lit. "With a new king, we will have the last of our allies."

"And then to track down the archdemon," Temene faked a smiled. 


	48. Final Allies

As the Wardens prepared to leave the Anvil of the Void, they saw Princess Sereda off. "I wish I could return with you to Orzamar but my life is here is with the Legion now," she said as they packed up.

"Thank you for helping us," Temene replied.

"I am glad that my brother will not succeed in his plot to take the throne. I only wish I could have prevented my brother's death."

"I think your father would have been proud for you to rule Orzamar," Alistair added.

"Perhaps in another life," she frowned, slinging her pack over her back. She disappeared back towards Bownammar as they prepared to follow Caridin's secret road.

Following Caridan's road, they made it back to Orzamar late in the day. They went straight to the Assembly, with crown in hand. A meeting was called promptly, the dwarves staring at the luminous crown Temene held. "The Wardens have returned and without Branka," Bhelen said, as the assembly began.

"You have not even let them speak before passing judgment," Harrowmont replied.

"It is true we have not returned with Branka, but with a greater gift from the hands of the Paragon Caridin," Temene began. "Caridin forged this with his own hands, to be presented to the next king of Orzamar."

"Who did Caridin choose?" one of the deshyrs asked.

"He chose no one. He wished for us, the Grey Wardens to decide," Alistair added.

"What? That is preposterous," Bhelen scoffed. "Why would he decree our fate decided by outsiders?"

"He saw that we were good hearted and not influenced by the current quarrels in the city. We seek only to put a just ruler on the throne for the good of the kingdom," Wynne said.

"Then what is your decision Grey Wardens," Steward Bandelor asked.

"Lord Harrowmont shall wear Caridin's crown," Temene replied.

The entire assembly burst into a fervor, some angry, some joyous. Some men began to grapple and as the guards attempted to break up the fight, Bhelen grabbed his sword and took a swing at Harrowmont. "Some one stop him!" Bandelor yelled, as Harrowmont attempted to defend himself.

There was a bit of grappling and Bhelen ended up at the bottom of the pile, a dagger stuck in his side. "By my ancestors!" Bandelor swore. "Can we have no more blood spilled because of this?" he added with a sigh.

"It is over," Harrowmont said, picking up the crown that had been dropped in the foray. "Now we must go to war to stop the Blight," he added.

Steward Bandelor took the crown from Harrowmont and wiped the blood that had been cast on it. He told Harrowmont to kneel and placed the crown on his head, speaking the sacred oath that all kings received. "If you will give me a few days to settle into all of this, I would gladly discuss our next step," Harrowmont turned to the Wardens.

"Yes, we will send word to Arl Eamon that the last of our allies are prepared to march. In the meantime, perhaps some scouts could be sent to watch over the land? We saw a large horde of darkspawn leaving the Deep Roads," Alistair asked.

"I will send them right away," Harrowmont nodded.

The Wardens returned to the Harrowmont estate with the new king and dispatched a letter to Eamon. They tended to wounds and rested from their long journey through the Deep Roads. Harrowmont began plans for the army to prepare to march from the city. The Wardens received a quick response from Eamon a few days later, telling them to meet him in Denerim right away. He had called the Landsmeet and was heading to his estate in the capital city.

They left Ozramar and began their treacherous decent down the snow-covered mountains. When they reached the plains, the travel was easier, even if the cold dampened their spirits. They entered the city cautiously and went straight to Eamon's estate just outside the marketplace. 


	49. Pearls of Wisdom

Eamon welcomed them when they arrived at his estate and showed them to their individual rooms. Alistair and Temene had been put at opposite ends of the guest hall, which irritated Alistair. He knew Eamon disapproved of their relationship and had purposely separated them. He tried not to say anything as they sat at dinner that night and joined Temene in her room for the evening after. "Finally alone again in a normal room with a normal bed. No one around," Temene smiled seductively at him, as he followed her inside.

"Oh, you've been waiting for this haven't you?" he grinned back.

"Well, of course. I haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks," she teased. She embraced him and gave him a loving kiss on the lips.

"I have just the cure for that. A healthy serving of Alistair will put you right to bed," he smiled.

She led him to bed, where they slowly undressed each other. They enjoyed the chance to finally be alone together. Temene suggested they try something new things. She instructed him in some new positions and techniques. As Alistair took her from behind, he glanced over to see Cullen watching them curiously. Alistair realized they looked rather beastly in this position and climbed off her. "Why did you stop?" Temene asked between breaths as Alistair looked guiltily at the dog.

"He's watching us," Alistair gulped. "It's really creepy," he frowned.

"Don't be silly," Temene chastised him.

The dog looked back at her with a whine. "Go bother Morrigan," Temene ordered the dog.

He whined again and slunk out the door, trying to elude sympathy. Temene sighed and got up to shut the door, locking it as she returned to bed. "Sorry," Alistair blushed, welcoming her back to bed with a sweaty embrace. She frowned teasingly and kissed him, climbing back into bed again.

They both slept late into the morning after an exhausting night with each other. Word of Loghain heading towards the estate roused Eamon early and he sent a servant to find Alistair. After finding him missing from his room, Eamon himself went to knock loudly on Temene's door. "Alistair, are you in there?" Eamon asked in an annoyed tone.

"Yes, the Warden and I are in a meeting," Alistair lied, concerned by Eamon's tone. "We will out in a moment."

"Loghain is on his way to the estate. It would be wise to be on attendance instead of sleeping the morning away," Eamon added. He stormed away as Alistair pulled on a pair of pants.

"What is his problem?" Temene asked as she searched for her clothes.

"I think he is under a lot of stress," Alistair lied again, knowing why Eamon was angry. He didn't want to tell Temene that Eamon wanted him to stay away from her.

They both dressed and headed to the front hall to confront Loghain, who had already arrived. "This is who you plan to place on the throne?" Loghain asked as Alistair and Temene entered the main hall. "He cannot even be bothered to meet with the regent."

"You are only the regent because you abandoned your king," Temene replied. "You are nothing but a murderer."

"I was not speaking to you elf," Loghain sneered.

"You have no claim to the throne," Eamon interrupted, casting a look of disdain at Temene. "You must step down and allow Maric's heir to take his place," he continued.

"You think Maric's bastard can staunch the threat from Orlais or any other country?" Loghain asked. "I simply control the armies of my daughter, the rightful queen and ruler of Ferelden."

"And Cailan was about to divorce her because she had not produced an heir," Eamon added. "You are tearing the country apart when we need to be united."

"We have seen the archdemon. This isn't some inconvenient darkspawn invasion. This is a Blight," Temene raised her voice.

"If you speak out of turn again, I will raise my blade," a woman next to Loghain interrupted.

"It is fine Cauthrien," Loghain raised his hand. "The Landsmeet will decide who is the rightful ruler of this land."

He left abruptly, leaving them lingering in the main hall. Eamon was visibly annoyed with Temene raising her voice. "Things could have gone better if you hadn't interrupted," Eamon chastised her.

"It doesn't matter. Loghain is still a threat," Temene said defensively. She was becoming more angry at his tone towards her.

"What did you find out about Loghain? Is there anything we can use in the Landsmeet?" Alistair asked, trying to calm them both.

"No, I was too busy preparing a proper funeral for my wife and sending Connor to the Circle Tower," Eamon said, casting another look at Temene.

Temene knew he blamed her for Isolde's death but said nothing. She stood with an icy stare, angry that Alistair was not defending her against Eamon. "We will have to get ears in the city and find something against him," Eamon added. "I need to speak to you in private Alistair."

"Yes, of course," Alistair gulped, glancing over at Temene, who had turned away from him.

He left with Eamon, leaving Temene standing in the main hall with the rest of the party. "Pompous asshole," Temene said under her breath as she turned to her companions.

"In my experience, the best place to find information is where men talk the most," Leliana said, seeing that Temene was visibly upset. She placed a comforting hand on her back. "There is a pleasure house here in Denerim. I think that would be our best bet to find out information. And it will get us out the estate."

"Let's go then," Temene sighed, glancing back to where Alistair had disappeared. She knew Eamon was a heavy influence on Alistair and hoped he didn't prey on his weak will.

Temene headed out towards The Pearl with Leliana and Morrigan in tow. The last place she wanted to be was a whorehouse, but she was glad to be out of Eamon's estate. The main room was surprisingly empty for mid day and Leliana guessed this was due to the Blight. People were more concerned about fleeing the darkspawn than getting their jollies off with one of the Pearl's workers. "Well, what now?" Temene asked, as Morrigan disappeared quickly with a man behind her.

"I will speak with some of the ladies, why don't you get a drink?" Leliana suggested, looking at Temene's still sour expression.

Leliana slipped away as Temene sat down at a empty table. She ordered a large mug of wine and scanned the strange crowd inhabiting the whorehouse. There was a good mix of male and female workers, all trying to convince their clients they were worth the price. When a woman sat down next to Temene, she quickly refused her advances. "No, I am not here for that," Temene said immediately as the woman sat down.

"Neither am I," the woman smiled. "I am just here for a good drink."

Temene was silent and returned to her mug of wine. "You don't look like the regular crowd in here," the woman commented. "You're not a young sailor looking to lose his virginity or an older woman tired of her useless husband."

"I am here for information," Temene said, without glancing up from her mug.

"Well lucky you," the woman smiled. "My name is Isabella and information is my game," she added.

Temene finally glanced at the woman to see if she was serious. She smiled at Temene with a look of intrigue. "How much does your information cost, Isabella?" Temene asked.

"I don't know if I'd charge you," Isabella smiled. "What sort of information are you looking for?"

"I am trying to find information on Loghain Mac Tir," Temene replied.

"Well that is a task," Isabella said. "Why would you want to dig up dirt on the regent?"

"I am a Grey Warden. I am trying to stop the Blight and he isn't helping things."

"I see," Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Give me a few days."

"You'd help me, just like that?" Temene wondered.

"Why not?" Isabella smiled and slipped into the crowd again.

Temene shook her head, wondering about the strange woman's intentions. She waited for a while longer, as Morrigan returned with a smile and Leliana came back with no information. "I hope that wasn't Grey Warden money you spent," Temene looked towards Morrigan.

"We can't all find a charming oaf to keep in our tent," Morrigan teased.

"I think she is very lucky to have Alistair," Leliana smiled. "He seems eager to please and he is quite fit. I imagine he is a fine lover."

"I am not talking about this with you two," Temene shook her head. "This place was a bust. Let's get out of here."

As they got up to leave, Isabella waved them over. She was seated at a table full of burly sailors playing cards. "You should speak with Queen Anora's maid, Erlina," Isabella winked and returned to her cards.

"Who was that?" Leliana asked, as they left the whorehouse.

"I have no idea," Temene replied. 


	50. Incognito Part 2

***Fifty chapters! Thanks for staying with me! Halfway to 100!***

While Temene and the other women were off looking for information at The Pearl, Alistair sat in Eamon's study. Alistair knew why Eamon was angry but didn't say anything as the servants brought in morning tea. Eamon finally spoke when the servants had passed. "Alistair, I can't help but feel concerned about you," Eamon started. "Have you not considered the kingship since we last spoke?"

"I don't know anything about being king. Why would I be a better choice than Anora? You said yourself that she held the reins in the marriage," Alistair replied.

"We must maintain the Theirin bloodline. Maric fought hard to reunite Ferelden and I won't see his line die so soon. You have had your fun with the other Warden, now you need to stop being selfish and think of your country," Eamon went on.

"I love Temene," Alistair replied, angry that Eamon never addressed her by name. "I am not just going to cast her aside."

"I am sorry. You have a duty to Ferelden, Alistair. She will not want to be dragged into this. I know you may love her but sometimes we must make sacrifices. It will be easier for her if you end things now."

"I, I can't," Alistair said, a knot forming in his throat.

"Trust me, Alistair. I saw how much it pained my sister when Maric was with your mother. As much as Rowan tried to hide it, I knew the affair pained her for the rest of her life. You do not want to put her through this. You are the only hope to save Ferelden."

Alistair tried to swallow but the lump in his throat prevented it. The thought of leaving Temene nearly brought him to tears. He knew Eamon meant well and that truthfully, if he became king, he could never marry Temene. His thoughts were overwhelming and wracked him with guilt. He considering the notion of overthrowing Loghain and Anora, leaving Temene, becoming king, leading the army against the darkspawn. It wasn't a life he had imagined but he was the last of Maric's children.

He needed to clear his mind and headed out of the estate alone. He wandered the waterfront as Temene returned to the estate with Morrigan and Leliana. Temene sought him out in the halls, but returned to her room when she couldn't find him. She was worried Eamon had pushed him too hard with ideas of becoming king. She didn't want to speak with Eamon alone, but had little choice when Alistair remained missing.

She knocked on the door of his study, trying to put on a stoic face. She didn't want to seem angry, even if she suspected he was the cause of Alistair's disappearance. "What do you know of Anora's maid, Erlina?" Temene asked, trying to seem gracious. "I was told she might have information."

"She is an elf from Orlais and has been in Anora's service for most of her life. You think we should speak with her?" Eamon said in his most hospitable tone.

"If she is privy to the inner workings of the palace, she should know something," Temene replied from the doorway, not bothering the enter the study.

"I will send someone to request a meeting," Eamon responded.

Temene nodded and left without another word. She took only a little dinner and went to her room, still worried that Alistair had not returned. She finally went to bed, staying up as long as she could by the fire.

Alistair finally returned late in the night and looked in on Temene for a brief moment. She slept peacefully in bed, her face lit darkly by the dying fire. He knew she liked the room warm, so he added wood to the fire before returning to his own room. He'd made a decision while sitting by the waterfront, but he wanted to hang onto her for as long as he could.

Things were quiet at breakfast in the morning and everyone felt the tension that pervaded the estate. Temene sat down across from Alistair, who tried not look at her too much. He didn't know why he had gone to eat, he was in no mood for food and seeing Temene pained him. He didn't want to hurt her but knew that if he became king, that he would be forced to. He said nothing as she stared at him with concern. She was troubled by his silence but wanted to speak to him alone. Eamon finally broke the silence and announced that Anora's maid would be arriving some time later in the morning.

"You think the Queen's maid will have some information?" Alistair finally addressed Temene, glancing up at her for only a second.

"I don't know. Some strange pirate woman at The Pearl told me to speak with her," Temene replied. "But servants are generally privy to gossip, so she should know something at least."

"Pirate woman?" Alistair asked.

"Her name was Isabella. She seemed eager to help me for some reason."

"That is who you got your information from?" Eamon shook his head. Temene narrowed her eyes but said nothing, not wanting to start another argument.

The Wardens waited patiently for Erlina to arrive, milling around the estate and grounds. The elven servant finally slipped into the estate in a heavy-hooded cloak. "Thank you for contacting me. I did not know if I should come, but I did not know who else to turn to either," Erlina said in a thick Orlesian accent.

"What can you tell us about Loghain and the Queen?" Eamon asked.

"The Queen fears for her life. She says her father has changed. She is locked in a room in Arl Howe's estate. It was fortunate I was able to leave unnoticed," Erlina replied.

"Arl Howe? Yes, I heard he was working with Loghain," Eamon commented.

"If you could help free the Queen, she would no doubt help your cause," Erlina added.

"If Loghain is working with Arl Howe, we will not be able to enter his estate without incident," Temene replied.

"The Arl has made a lot of enemies, both from taking over the Arling of Highever and Denerim and the treatment of the people on his own lands ," Erlina said before she was interrupted.

"Highever? The Couslands have ruled Highever for generations?" Alistair interrupted. "Duncan spoke of them frequently."

"The entire family was killed in a raid," Eamon answered. "Howe took over the Arling because it is so near to Amaranthine."

"As I said," Erlina continued. "The Arl has a lot of enemies and has been hiring new guards every day. If you could disguise yourself, you could slip in easily if you kept a low profile."

"Why should we trust Anora?" Morrigan wondered. "We are trying to take her off the throne."

"She is concerned for her own safety, surely that comes before preserving her place as queen," Erlina replied.

"You really think no one would recognize us as guards?" Temene asked.

"Not up close, but that can be avoided. All the Arl's men wear red steel armor with his crest painted in white on the breast," Erlina answered.

"We will gather what we need to perform the ruse," Eamon agreed quickly. "It should take us well into the afternoon. Where will we need to enter?"

"There are always protestors in front of the Denerim estate. If you meet me at the gates, I can show you a back way inside," Erlina replied.

"Very well, my people shall meet you there sometime past midday," Eamon said.

Erlina nodded in agreement and was escorted out. Temene was angry at Eamon's quick decision but she didn't want to make it an issue. "I think Morrigan is right. Should we really be putting any trust in Anora?" Temene said as politely as possible.

"We do not have to trust her," Eamon replied. "We just need to get her away from Loghain. Once we have the Queen, we will have the advantage. I will send someone to the market to acquire the armor we need. Who will be going to the estate?"

"We will need to blend in. I think Alistair and I shall go, along with Sten and Leliana. We already have weapons that will look natural with the armor," Temene replied.

"Perfect, I will keep enjoying the food here," Oghren laughed.

"I will visit the Chantry and see if I can find anymore information," Wynne added. "I have a few friends I can speak to."

Eamon sent a manservant to gather suits of red steel armor and paint to mark the Arl's crest. When their disguises had been assembled and they had taken a quick lunch, they headed to the Arl of Denerim's estate. The crowd Erlina mentioned made it easier to slip inside and they found the elf waiting among the crowd. She motioned for them to follow her along a small alley beside the tower estate. 


	51. Dungeons and Archdemons

The disguised Wardens followed Erlina towards the servant's entrance. Two guards stood outside, watching the door that led inside. "These men will know you are not new guards, so I will have to draw them away from the door," Erlina said. "Once they follow me, get inside as quickly as possible."

Erlina grabbed a heavy sack that was piled nearby and struggled towards the door. She fell under the weight of the sack and the guards went to help her up after exchanging a laugh at her misfortune. She said something to them, motioning that she had other sacks to bring inside. They seemed loath to help her, but followed her to pile of goods on the other side of the wall.

The Wardens quickly slipped inside, not knowing where to go next. The back rooms of the estate were crowded with goods, so they hesitantly moved forward blindly and found their way into the small barracks. "Let's sit down and act casual," Temene said quietly, sitting down at an empty table.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Leliana asked, peeking out from behind her heavy helmet.

"I don't know. Erlina didn't tell us what room Anora was in," Temene replied, trying to glance around the room furtively.

They sat for a moment longer, pretending to talk about the shift they had just finished. Erlina slipped into the barracks with another sack and looked in their direction. Despite their uniforms, they looked like an odd band of guards with a lumbering Qunari and two petite women. "Let's go," Temene looked around, pretending to stretch. "I am ready to hit the bed roll," she said, loud enough to be heard.

They left the barracks through the door Erlina had passed through and found her waiting in the hallway. "The Queen is being held down here," Erlina whispered. She led them to the heavy wooden door that led into Anora's room. It was held shut with a magical ward.

"You mentioned nothing about magic," Temene whispered angrily.

"Lady Anora, the Grey Wardens are here," Erlina spoke towards the door.

"Hello," a voice called from behind the door. "I thank you for helping me."

"We may not be able to," Temene replied. "I do not believe I can dispel this ward."

"You can try, can't you?" Erlina asked. "The mage employed by Arl Howe stays at his side."

"We do not have a choice," Temene shook her head and pulled Spellweaver from her back. She charged the sword and stuck the ward but it had no effect and caused her to stumble backwards.  
>"Only the mage's own staff will dispel this," Temene added.<p>

"I doubt the mage will be willing to hand it over," Sten grumbled.

"There is no other choice then," Anora said from beyond the door. "You must find the mage and get me out of here. I don't know what Howe will do next if I remain here."

Temene sighed and sheathed her sword. "Where will the mage be?" Temene asked Erlina.

"The Arl has been spending a lot of time in the dungeons below the estate," Erlina answered. "The mage will be with him."

"So much for sneaking out of here," Temene frowned. "The dungeon guards will likely know we do not belong."

"I will remain here then," Erlina replied. "The dungeons are down the hall, past the small chapel."

Temene was concerned that they were locked in a hostile environment but hoped all the newly recruited guards wouldn't put up much of a fight. They made their way towards the dungeons, trying to look inconspicuous. Most of the guards they passed took no notice but as they entered the dungeons, one of the guards questioned them. "Who are you? You don't belong here," the guard asked, before an arm quickly pulled him towards a nearby cell and snapped his neck.

The mysterious prisoner grabbed the sword from the guard's belt and disappeared to the back of his cell. "I hope you are friends," the prisoner said, brandishing the sword.

"Yes, we are friends," Leliana replied, trying to pick the lock of the cell.

"Another Orlesian?" the man replied, looking down at Leliana. "Alistair, is that you?"

"Wait, I remember you," Alistair said, squinting into the cell. "I do not recall your name. You were with Duncan when he came to the Chantry."

"He is another Grey Warden?" Temene asked. "How did you escape Ostagar?"

"I am Riordan. I was not at Ostagar. I was one of the few Wardens not sent with the King's army. I was sent to investigate matters here in Denerim when the Arl captured me. I have been in this cell for months."

Leliana managed to pick the lock and released the door. "I have only heard of the horrors that have befallen the land. And I have had the nightmares that signify the Blight. Tell me, has the archdemon appeared yet?" Riordan asked.

"We saw the dragon while in Orzamar. It has not yet been seen on the surface, but it cannot be long," Temene replied.  
>"You are another Warden?" Riordan asked.<p>

"The last recruit of Duncan," Temene nodded.

"May the Maker guide his soul," Riordan closed his eyes for a moment.

"You look very weak," Leliana observed.

"Take this guard's armor and escape. Go to the Arl of Redcliffe's estate near the market. We will return there once we have rescued the queen," Alistair said.

They helped Riordan into the armor, which didn't fit his starved frame, but would work to get him out safely. They continued through the dungeon where they were immediately questioned again by more guards. It was no use trying to fool them, so the Wardens were forced to fight. The guards were fortunately under skilled and fell without much effort. The Wardens heard cries of pain and followed the sounds, finding the Arl in the midst of torturing a young female prisoner.

"Who are you? What are you doing down here?" Howe looked at them suspiciously. "Wait, I know you. The bastard son of Maric. You do look a lot like your half brother," he sneered.

"We are here for your mage's staff," Temene replied.

"And you must be the other Warden Loghain told me about. The elf that can't keep her mouth shut," Howe smiled slightly. "I at least envy the Qunari for having enough sense to cut their mage's tongues out."

Sten muttered something in Qunari and took a step towards Howe. "Do you really think you will make it out of here alive?" Howe asked.

"One way or another, I will be taking that staff," Temene replied, looking at the mage who stood at Howe's side. He was attempted to cast a spell silently, but a quick shock from her hands stopped him. The fighting erupted quickly as the other guards in the room rushed towards them, with Howe yelling behind them.

The room was full of dangerous torture devices which were hard to avoid, but the guards were overmatched. Sten knocked several down with one blow as more came rushing in after hearing the noise. Temene tried to grab the staff from the mage who had been playing possum. He burnt her arm with a fist of fire but she quickly thrust Spellweaver into his side. She held her hand over the wound, trying to heal it, but it had burnt her deeply through the armor. "Are you alright?" Alistair asked, seeing her pained face. He rushed to her side and held her from fainting.

"Let's get out of here," she replied with a wince.

The pain in her arm doubled her over but she held onto the mage's staff for balance. The tortured prisoner had been killed but the Wardens managed to free many others who had been held in the dungeons. They returned carefully to Anora's door and Temene was easily able to dispel the ward with the mage's staff. "You are injured," Anora said with a look on concern. She cast a glance at Alistair and went immediately pale. "By the Maker, you do look like Cailan," she added with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"We should get out of here quickly," Alistair insisted, looking concerned at Temene's condition.

"I am ready to leave," Anora announced.

They headed towards the exit of the estate but found the way blocked. Cauthrien, the woman who had come with Loghain to the Eamon's estate, stood in their way. "Stop right there," Cauthrien ordered. "You've murdered the Arl of Denerim and countless guards. Lay down your arms and surrender or die."

"The Arl was holding the Queen prisoner. We were here to protect her from Howe," Temene replied.

"They were trying to kidnap me!" Anora lied. "Get them away from me!"

"You bitch!" Temene swore as one of Cauthrien's men grabbed her by her injured arm. She cried out in pain loudly and struck him in the face with her other hand. The man struggled with her as the other men tried to detain the others. Temene felt only a sharp blow to the back of her head before she blacked out. 


	52. Captured and Caught

Temene finally regained consciousness with her head pounding. Her body was freezing but she felt a warmth around her head and shoulders. When she opened her eyes, she found herself cradled in Alistair's lap. He had a contusion above his eyebrow but looked down on her with happiness. "Thank the Maker you are alright," he said, breathing a sigh of relief at seeing her awaken. "They gave you a nasty whack on the head. You always seem to be the one who takes the brunt of things," he added, stroking her face softly.

"You do not look unscathed. What happened? I don't remember much," Temene asked, pulling herself up slowly. They had both been stripped of their weapons and armor and sat only in their small clothes on the cold stone floor.

"That Ser Cautherin has a real staff up her ass," Alistair replied. "When we tried to reason with her she got up in arms and Anora said we were trying to kidnap her. I knew we couldn't trust her."

"Where are we?" Temene asked with a shiver

"Fort Drakon. I think they mean to torture us before we are hung in the market square. I've been hearing screams all night. "

"Well, we won't go without a fight," Temene replied, putting her hands on the stone. She cast a fire spell that heated the stones so they could have a little warmth in their cell. "They can take our weapons but they can't stop my spells."

"Will your arm be alright?" he asked, looking down at the skin near her left shoulder.

"It will take a lot to heal it," Temene replied, checking the burnt wound. The flesh had blistered and was bright red. She tried a healing spell but her pounding head made the spell all but ineffective.

"You should rest," he said, wrapping his arm around her.

"No, you look tired," she replied, looking into his reddened eyes. "I will watch for a guard to come and I can surprise him." She gently stroked his hair, hoping to bring him some much needed rest.

She waited patiently for a single guard to come by, pretending to still be asleep. As the guard enjoyed an apple, she forced a hard shock of lightning into his chest, killing him instantly. He was too far away to reach but she managed to pull the keys from his scabbard with telekinetic energy. She struggled with the lock from the outside, only able to reach it with him injured arm. It pained her and she dropped the keys with a loud clunk.

"You got the keys?" Alistair woke up.

"I can't get to the lock," Temene replied, pulling her injured arm back inside the cell.

"Let me try," Alistair replied, standing up.

He reached for the fallen keys and managed to open the lock from the other side. "Leliana and Sten must be here somewhere," he noted, searching for some sort of weapon or clothing item. They found their stripped goods inside a large chest full of other prisoner's items. It was hard for Temene to put the armor back on, so Alistair helped her.

"Will you be alright to go one?" he asked.

"As long as we get out of here," she smiled, thankful to have him with her.

"Let's find Leliana and Sten and try to find a way out of here," he replied, kissing her forehead.

They moved carefully through the cells, searching for Sten and Leliana. They found them locked in another cell down the hall. "You have a very lovely body," Leliana remarked to Sten as he attempted to break the lock by force.

"Be quiet and help me woman," Sten replied, forcing a bit of rock shard into the tumbler.

"Temene, Alistair!" Leliana said happily, seeing them approach. "How did you get out?"

"We killed one of the guards," Alistair said, trying to find the right key to open their cell. "We need to get out of here."

"I am so glad you are alright," Leliana added as managed to get the door unlocked. "Is Temene alright? I can't believe that man hit her?"

"I am fine," Temene tried to smile.

They brought Sten and Leliana back to the chest that held all of their goods and re-equiped themselves. "How do you plan on getting out of here?" Sten asked. "We are in a fortress full of guards. I could see only two places of exit as they led us through."

"Which had the least amount of guards?" Temene asked.

"There appeared to be a back exit frequented used by the officers of higher ranking. They will put up more of a fight, but will be fewer in number," Sten replied.

"How did you see all of this?" Leliana asked.

"I was trained to see it," Sten replied.

"Let's avoid as much bloodshed as possible. If we can slip past any of them, we will," Temene added.

They followed the path Sten had perceived and found his observations accurate. The hall was occupied by the captains' quarters, where a hall led to a secret escape tunnel in case of invasion. The Wardens tried their best to subdue and disarm the guards or sneak past them. They made their way through the escape tunnel and into the sewers below. "I almost wish we had fought our way out," Leliana held her nose.

"There is light there," Temene pointed down the dark tunnel. "We won't be here long."

They followed the dank tunnel towards the light and managed to climb out of the overflow hole that sat beside the Drakon River. They had to hide quickly from a pair of guards patrolling the area but afterwards made their way back towards Eamon's estate as the sun began to set on the capital city.


	53. Unrest

The Wardens made their way back to Eamon's estate, slowed by the pain that had begun to radiate down Temene's arm. They found Eamon waiting for them in the main hall, Queen Anora at his side. "What is she doing here?" Temene asked angrily, leaning on Alistair. "She betrayed us the first chance she saw!"

"It was the only way I could get out safely," Anora said defensively.

"And you just thought we'd be fine in the dungeons of Fort Drakon?" Temene asked sarcastically.

"Lady Surana, please," Eamon interrupted. "We have much greater problems."

Temene stood with lips curled, enraged by pain and Eamon's dismissive tone. Alistair's hand gently caressed her back, trying to calm her.

"What can Anora tell us, if anything," Alistair asked, trying to support Temene but not anger Eamon.

"Arl Howe and my father were involved in something in the Elven Alienage. There have been reports of riots but very few people have been going in or out," Anora said.

"What sort of involvement?" Alistair asked.

"From what I have heard from friends, there is a plague. They don't know what started it but it is only affecting elves," Erlina added.

"We will have to go and investigate," Temene replied.

"Wouldn't it be safer if you remained here? You already do not look well and if you caught the plague," Anora asked.

"No, I do not want to sit around here like an invalid. I am a mage, I can heal myself."

"Anora is right, you do not look well. At least lie down for a moment and let Wynne attend to your arm," Alistair insisted.

"Fine," Temene replied in a sulking tone. She'd been out of action too many times to count and was growing weary of it.

Alistair took Temene off to bed with Wynne in tow. He helped her remove her armor and tucked her into bed. "She will need something hearty to eat to regain her strength," Wynne ordered Alistair, who went to fetch food for her.

"We were just about to come rescue you when you showed up," Wynne tried to smile, setting her hands on Temene's wound.

"I only wish I was a better healer," Temene winced as she felt her skin knitting back together over the burnt wound.

"There are few of us that specialize in it so well and it takes many years of practice. I had a fine apprentice once but he escaped from the tower, never to be seen again," Wynne went on. "There," she added, removing her hands from Temene's arm. "It will be tender for a few days but should be good as new in no time. Drink this potion, it will help you rest."

"Thank you," Temene replied, swallowing the potion in one gulp.

The potion made her quickly drowsy and she dozed off before Alistair returned with food and water for her. Wynne left them alone and Alistair sat down to eat, keeping an eye on the bed. He'd considered letting her go, to spare her having to watch him marry another woman if he became king. He couldn't imagine leaving her side now. She finally stirred after a few hours, refreshed and feeling a lot better.

"Why are you the one always getting hurt?" Alistair asked, sitting at her side when she awoke.  
>"We even got you armor and you still manage to get hurt."<p>

"I suppose people just like to pick on me," Temene smiled at him.

"I guess I should do a better job of protecting you. I feel like I've failed somehow," he added.

"There is little you can do about all the enemies we've managed to collect."

"I just wish they realized we are trying to help."

"I won't stay here tomorrow when we got to the Alienage. It was once my home, even if I don't remember it," Temene added.

"Fine, then I insist that you get some more rest after eating," he replied.

She ate what she could and rested for the remainder of the evening. She felt a great better in the morning as they prepared to investigate the Alienage. Wynne insisted on coming, in case she could assist in curing the plague or if Temene fell ill again. Temene was hesitant to trust anything that came from Anora's mouth, but felt an obligation to check on her people. She had no memories of her life in the Alienage and didn't know what had become of her parents. She was anxious to see what Loghain had to do with the unrest.

They left Eamon's estate and made their way towards the Alienage where a guard stood watch. They managed to talk their way inside when Temene feigned illness. They found the Alienage in disarray. Elves sat on the streets begging for food and medicine. A small crowd had formed around one of the buildings. Temene approached and inquired about the gathering. "You aren't from here?" a woman asked defensively, looking at Temene's armor.

"I was at the Circle Tower up until recently," Temene replied.

"Just what we need, another mage," the woman scoffed.

"What is happening here?" Alistair asked.

"This doesn't concern you, human," the woman added.

"Look, I am here to help. You can tell me what is going on or I can be on my way," Temene insisted.

"Then go ask the Tevinter mage standing at the doorway where he has been taking our people. Once they go inside for a "cure" they never come back."

"They are trying to heal people?" Wynne asked.

"Anyone they suspect has the plague is taken into the clinic, but no one has ever come out."

"That's not true Shianni," another woman interrupted. "I saw Ardius yesterday."

"But what about Valendrian and Cyrion," Shianni replied.

"Quit causing problems, these people are trying to help us," the woman turned and walked away.

"I will try to get inside," Temene replied.

"But you will have to go in there alone," Alistair worried.

"I will be fine."

"Be wary of Tevinter mages, Temene. They are trained much different than you and I," Wynne added.

Temene made her way to the front of the crowd and stumbled forward. "Please help me, I am very sick," Temene cried out.

"Here, take this one inside right away," the man at the door said.

Another man helped Temene to her feet and led her towards the door to the clinic. Temene disappeared inside, Alistair and the rest of the party looking on in slight concern. 


	54. We Are All Slaves

Temene was led inside the clinic where several other men were waiting for her. There were no other patient inside and Temene felt an immediate sense of peril. Before she could say a word, the man next to her grabbed her firmly. "Alright, let's get her in chains," one of the men said.

"Chains? Aren't you going to help me?" Temene asked.

"Help you? Yeah, we are going to help you real good," another man laughed.

The nearest man grabbed her by the wrist and tried to pull her towards a table that held many sets of hand chains. "Let me go," Temene lashed out, raising a cone of fire from her hands.

"She's a mage!" one the men yelled, trying to put out his burning robes.

"Kill her if you have to," another shouted.

Temene fought with the men, though it was difficult in the small space. She tried to get the door open so Alistair and the others could help, but the men blocked her way. When they had all fallen, the room was in shambles. She caught her breath for a moment then opened the door slightly and rapped the two men outside on the back of head, knocking them unconscious. "Go back to your homes. You will be safer there," Temene called to the crowd.

"What happened in there?" Alistair asked.

"They tried to chain me up. I don't know what is going on. We should look around some more," she replied, opening the door wider.

The crowd scattered fearfully, seeing the blood splattered on Temene's armor. Shianni was the only elf that stayed and followed the others inside. They looked around the clinic and found a hidden door that led to a small room. A group of elves was caged inside. "Please, let us out of here," one of them begged.

"What is going on here? Who put you in this cage?" Temene asked.

"The healers," another of the elves said in a frightened tone.

"What were they going to do with you?" Alistair asked.

"I don't know. I overheard them talking a while ago. I think they might be slavers," the elf replied.

"Slavery is illegal in Ferelden," Wynne replied. "But the Tevinter Imperium is still ravaged by it."

"They said they were taking a shipment to some apartments behind here. I think the meant us," another elf added.  
>"This is horrible. Who would do this?" Shiannia asked. "Do you know what they've done to Valendrian?"<p>

"I don't know," the elf replied.

"I took some keys from one of the guards, perhaps one of them is to the apartments," Temene replied. "Take them someplace safe," she ordered Shianni.

"Be careful," Shianni added, helping the weakened elves from the cage. "The apartments are right behind this building to the left."

They left the clinic and towards the small building behind them. Temene tried all of the keys and the last one opened the door. They entered the building cautiously and found more guards inside. There was evidence of people living in the run down apartments, though all of their precious things had been left behind.

They continued on, more guards alerted to their presence. They all bore facets of Tevinter origin and confirmed the suspicions of the captured elves. It was clear the building was the headquarters of a Tevinter slaver ring. They eventually came face to face with the leader of the operation in question, a Tevinter mage named Caladrius.

Caladrius made a paltry attempt to persuade them but Temene would have nothing of it. She'd only been in the outside world for a short time but was disgusted with the treatment of her kind. Caladrius admitted a tacit agreement he had with Loghain regarding the slaves. This only infuriated Temene more. Caladrius was a powerful blood mage but no match for the seasoned Wardens. They gathered what other evidence of the slave ring they could find and returned to Eamon's estate.

They showed Eamon the evidence against Loghain and he seemed pleased. He began making preparations for the Landsmeet in a few days. Anora remained in the rooms she had taken over in the estate, forcing Leliana and Wynne to share a room. Temene made no effort to speak with her about Loghain's involvement.

She was still visibly upset when she returned to her room. Alistair tried to calm her down. "How can someone get away with this? Only because we are elves and people see us as second class citizens," she ranted.

"I know it doesn't make things better, but I am sorry," Alistair apologized. "Perhaps your great deeds will help change things."

"We can only hope," Temene's face softened, not trying to seem mad at Alistair. She took him in her arms and received a much needed hug. 


	55. The Landsmeet

As the Wardens waited for the Landsmeet to begin in a few days, Eamon tried his best to pull Alistair away from Temene. He pointed out the connection that Riordan seemed to be having with Temene. They sat for hours talking in close quarters. In reality, they only spoke often because Temene knew Riordan's sister who had been at the Circle Tower. Jensa had fled Orlais and was eventually caught by Templars and taken to the Ferelden tower. Temene knew her well and how she had come to pass away during her Harrowing.

It made Alistair jealous and he couldn't imagine having to parade a wife and child around her. He tried to keep to himself and even began looking through books on leadership and kingly duties. He didn't sleep well, plagued with worries over Temene and nightmares of the Blight. Temene let him have his space, knowing they had moved quickly in their relationship. She didn't want to scare him away though she loved him immensely.

Eamon left the estate early on the day of the Landsmeet. It was set for high noon, so the Wardens headed over to the palace around 11. As soon they entered the royal palace, they found Ser Cauthrien in their way once again. "Get out of our way, you have no authority to bar our entry," Temene demanded.

"No?" Cauthrien questioned. "You still need to face justice for the murder of Arl Howe and the countless guards you killed."

"We are fighting against Loghain to preserve the country and defeat the Blight. Surely you must see that he is wrong," Alistair added.

" Loghain took me in when I had nothing. I won't let you sully his good name," Cauthrien added, pulling her sword off her back.

"We don't have to fight. Simply stand aside," Wynne pleaded. Cauthrien ignored her and swung her sword towards Temene.

As they brawled in the front entrance of the palace, the guards rushed to break up the melee. "What is going on here?" the captain asked.

"She attacked us," Temene pointed to Cauthrien's body. "We are guests of Arl Eamon and she would not let us pass."

"It's true, she couldn't be reasoned with," Shianni peeked out.

The guard didn't seem to care either way and was simply glad that the fighting had ended. He let them pass through after taking their names. "What are you doing here?" Temene asked. "Is everything alright in the Alienage?"

"Yes, I just wanted to come here for support. I witnessed what Loghain had done to our people. I am hear to make my voice heard," Shianni answered.

She followed them into the throne room where the nobility had assembled. Temene felt slightly self-conscious among the finely dressed people who didn't cast a second glance at her. As they neared the throne they saw Loghain standing near Eamon with a look of deresion. "Finally the rest of your party arrives," Loghain said mockingly. "It is a relief that they decided to get out of bed to grace us with their presence."

"Your second just tried to kill us or else we would have been here on time," Temene spat back.

"Ah yes, the elf that cannot keep her mouth shut," Loghain added. "Let us get this ridiculous farce over so I can return to tending to the kingdom."

"Loghain Mac Tir, this Landsmeet has been called to challenge the claim to the throne of Ferelden," Eamon began. "We shall put to a vote who shall rule Ferelden. We have before us the last heir of the Theirin line, Alistair," he added.

The crowd of nobles seemed slightly stunned and Loghain tried to hush them. "Yes, this is Maric's son. A failed Templar who was only good enough to join the Grey Wardens," Loghain scoffed. "What do you hope to gain from this Eamon? Putting this boy on the throne so you can pull the strings? Or will you let the elf do that? He seems to follow her around like a lost puppy."

"We are here to end the Blight and nothing more. You stand in the way of uniting the kingdom against the Darkspawn," Temene said.

"And yet again she speaks out of turn," Loghain raised his hands. "Will you also protect the country when Orlais attacks?"

"This isn't about Orlais!" Temene protested. "These people's lands have been scourged by Darkspawn. We have seen the archdemon and he will be upon the surface soon."

Some of the crowd seemed to cheer, mostly those displaced by Darkspawn invasion. "This is coming from the same Grey Wardens who murdered Arl Rendon Howe and have not served justice for his death and those of the guards they killed when making their escape from Fort Drakon," Loghain argued.

"Arl Howe was keeping your own daughter captive and torturing people under your orders," Temene replied.

"My daughter? Why she is safely here in the palace," Loghain said, as Anora stepped from the crowd.

Temene narrowed her eyes at the woman but did not accuse her of lying. "And what of the prisoners you had tortured in the dungeons of the Arl's estate or the Tevinter slavers you allowed to kidnap helpless elves?" Temene challenged.

"It's true!" Shianni shouted. "They took all my friends and even killed the ones that wouldn't cooperate!"

"Remove that woman!" Loghain pointed.

"No," another man shouted. "I was tortured by Arl Howe. I am the rightful heir to Arling of Denerim and was held prisoner along with a Templar named Irminric."

"That is my brother," a woman interrupted.

"My son was also tortured," another man shouted.

"I cannot be held accountable for what Arl Howe did," Loghain replied.

"And what of your attempt to poison Arl Eamon?" Temene asked. "Surely you cannot pass the blame on that as well?"

"He was poisoned by a mage and a friend of yours no less," Loghain added.

"He would not lie for me," Temene narrowed her eyes.

"Jowan fully admitted to being given his freedom from his Templar captors in exchange for poisoning me," Eamon interrupted.

"Enough of this nonsense, I will hear no more," Loghain protested.

"Then the Landsmeet shall vote," Eamon replied.

The Wardens seemed to garner much support, though Loghain was not without supporters. The final vote was close but the nobles seemed swayed by the damning evidence against Loghain. "You must abdicate Loghain, the Landsmeet has spoken," Eamon said.

"I will not. Everyone here has lost their minds. Everything I have done was for Ferelden," Loghain replied angrily.

"Can you not reason with your father Anora? He must stand aside," Temene asked.

"You will not tell my daughter nor I what to do elf," Loghain yelled, taking a swing at her.

Temene managed to stumbled backwards avoiding his blows as the entire assembly erupted into violence. The Revered Mother finally shouted loud enough over the fighting for it to come to a halt. "This solves nothing," she said, holding her hands in the air. "There will be no more violence in this place."

"If he will not stand aside, what choice do we have?" Temene asked, catching her breath.

"An honorable duel would serve a better purpose," the Revered Mother replied.

"Then I shall fight him," Temene replied.

"No," Alistair protested. "I will duel Loghain."

"He has insulted both myself and my people by selling them into slavery. I owe them this."

"I care not which of the Wardens I slay. They will either be dead or imprisoned before the day is done," Loghain replied.

The crowd moved back and prepared to watch the battle between the Hero of River Dane and the lowly elven mage. Temene had not thought to bring her staff to the Landsmeet and only had her hands to fight with. She immediately cast a paralyzing spell on Loghain and began to conjure a freezing spell. He swung violently at her as she felt her hands full of frost. The crowd gasp as his sword narrowly missed striking her. "You should have let your bastard prince fight for you," Loghain mocked. "You'd be better served as a servant!"

Temene lashed out in anger with a fire spell and singed his armor. Her magic didn't seemed to faze him much, so she grabbed a sword that had fallen to the ground. "What do you plan to do with that?" Loghain laughed.

Temene felt the anger swelling inside her and the memories of her ancestors invading her mind. They were also enraged at Loghain's crimes and whispered for her to cut him down. She felt her own consciousness disappearing into the fade and the mind of the arcane warrior overtaking her.

The crowd stared aghast as she seemingly disappeared partly into the Fade and attacked Loghain with renewed vigor and skill. She moved quickly and almost predicted his movements, gliding out of the way gracefully and parrying his blows. He finally fell forward, exhausted and gravely wounded. The cloud over Temene's mind faded as he cowered on the ground. "Enough," he said, holding up his hands.

"You deserve death for your crimes," Temene looked down on him.

"There is another option besides execution," Riordan stepped forward. "If he partook in the joining he could either help our cause or die in the process."

"He does not deserve to join our order. He killed our Brother and Sister at Ostagar, Duncan and all the others," Alistair demanded.

"Wardens should serve voluntarily, not as punishment," Temene said. She handed Alistair the sword in her hand and stepped away.

"In the memory of the fallen Grey Wardens, I cast you down," Alistair said, driving the blade into Loghain's neck.

Anora turned away and tried to hide her face as the crowd gasp once again. Alistair slowly dropped the sword and turned towards Temene. "Thank you," he nodded at her.

"I will send scouts out at once to watch for the archdemon," Eamon added. "In the meantime, we must see to your coronation."

"Very well," Alistair nodded. "But I will remain with the Grey Wardens until the Blight is ended or my life is. Anora will rule in my stead if I do not return," he added firmly.

"Is that wise?" Eamon asked.

"There is no negotiation. Until then, Anora will be confined to residence in Fort Drakon," Alistair replied.

"We should return to the estate and prepare for our next move against the Darkspawn. Hopefully Arl Eamon's scouts can lead us in the right direction," Riordan added.

The Wardens returned to Eamon's estate with few words. Temene cleaned herself up, taking a long bath and wiped the blood from her armor. The best scouts in the city were sent at once to the corners of the country, looking for the darkspawn horde. The Wardens ate dinner and retired to their rooms after a long and eventful day. 


	56. Mistakes

Alistair sat in Temene's room as she returned from washing up from dinner. He said nothing as she entered and undressed. "Are you alright?" Temene asked, pulling off her small clothes. "A lot has happened today if you wanted to talk about it. You know I am here for you."

"It's something I am afraid to talk to you about but I can't get it out of my mind," he said, barely glancing over from his seat at the fire. He rubbed his eyes with his hands and sunk his head into his lap.

"Serious enough that you can't make a witty comment about," Temene smiled and slipped a shift over her naked body.

"Temene, you know I love you right? But we always knew that duty would come before everything else. We promised ourselves it would," Alistair sighed.

"Yes and we've done so," Temene replied, sitting down in the chair next to him with a blanket wrapped around her.

"Now that I am king, there are many other duties that I must put ahead of you. I never wanted to hurt you, but I think we have to end things," he said sadly.

"What?" Temene croaked out. Her stomach quickly dropped and she felt overwhelmed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry Temene. I planned on being with your forever, but now, now I'll be expected to marry, to produce and heir to assume the throne when I die. It isn't fair to you to be dragged into all of this."

"You don't think I haven't thought about this as well, when Eamon put your name forward," Temene asked, as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "There are plenty of marriages of convenience in Fereldan. Even Cailan was planning to align himself with Empress, you saw the letters in his chest."

"I didn't think you would consider such a thing?" Alistair replied defensively, his throat tightening.

"You never asked me! How can you say that you love me when you are so ready to cast us aside? Just to spare my feelings in the long run?" she raised her voice, anger clashing with her tears. She left the chair and walked towards the door, calling Cullen beside her.

"Where are you going?" Alistair asked, getting out of his chair. His voice was pained with regret.

"To sleep in one of the guest rooms. The King can have his room all to himself," Temene stormed out.

She walked down the quiet hall towards one of the small rooms with Cullen in tow. He gently nuzzled her hand, sensing the sadness in her voice and placed his head in her lap as she sat on the cold bed. She sobbed quietly, wondering how Alistair could cast her aside. She curled up on the bed, wrapping the blanket around her tightly and wept until her eyes were tired from her tears.

She slept fitfully, waking in the middle of the night to hear Cullen growling at the door. A pair of reluctant footsteps left the doorway and headed back towards Alistair's room. "He's not going to apologize that easy," Temene said quietly to Cullen. He whined slightly in response and laid his head back down.

When she awoke in the morning, her head was pained and her eyes were still sore from crying. All of her things were still in her room, so she took some spare clothes from the guest room. They were too long for her lithe frame and dragged on the floor as she walked towards the dining hall. She said nothing to the others who were eating and grabbed the largest leg of mutton for Cullen as a reward for his guard duty from the evening past.

She returned to the guest room with only a cup of hot milk sweetened with honey. Cullen busied himself with the mutton as Temene slowly sipped on the milk. A servant came into the room and asked if she would be bathing today. Temene said yes, knowing a hot bath would help her headache. The servant returned with another boy who carried several large buckets of hot water.

She soaked in the hot bath for as long as she could stand. When she climbed out and began drying herself off, she found Alistair standing in the doorway. "How long have you been standing there?" she sighed and turned away from him. Cullen lie fast asleep with his clean mutton bone beside him.

"Long enough to know there is no excuse for what I said last night," he sighed. "I got ahead of myself. You know I never really wanted this. Just the thought of you with another man hurts me so much, I didn't want to marry someone in from of you just so I can play at being a horrible king."

"You could probably be a great king if you started thinking for yourself and stopped self-deprecating yourself. Duncan saw something in you besides a templar who hides behind his jokes more than his shield. You've let Eamon lead you this far, when are you going to stand up and make your own decisions?" she responded without looking at him.

"Right now," Alistair said, taking a bold step towards her. "I am not leaving until you promise to stay with me forever. I may not be able to make you my queen, but I can still make you my wife."

Temene sighed and turned to face him. "Alistair, I never needed to be married to you," Temene began. "I just wanted you to stop letting people tell you what to do. Whether it be Eamon, Duncan, or myself."

"I've been such a fool Temene. Can you ever forgive me?" Alistair asked, hugging her close.  
>She didn't know what to feel at the moment. She still loved him but his words had wounded her deeply.<p>

"I don't know Alistair," Temene replied softly into Alistair's chest. "We must focus on the task at hand."

"Eamon is returning to Redcliffe tomorrow. We can remain here until we hear something from the scouts," he added. "Riordan has taken a horse outside the city."

He turned her face up and looked into her reddened eyes. "I need to get dressed," she said, looking away from him.

"Right," he nodded. "I am going to the market and will be back later."

He left her with a shameful smile and she stood alone once again. She had never felt so sick and wretched as she had the night before and didn't know if she could look at him again without remembering that feeling. She wrapped a blanket around her and returned back to her room to get dressed. The bed looked like it hadn't been slept in and that Alistair had spent a sleepless night alone in the room. 


	57. Alistair's Big Day

Alistair set out for the Denerim markets determined to make Temene happy again. He first stopped off at a jeweler to look for a ring. "King Alistair," the man happily bowed, scurrying from behind his small table.

"I am not king yet," Alistair protested.

"Yes, of course my lord," the man bowed his head. "What brings you to my humble shop?'

"I am looking for a ring for a friend. A woman. She has delicate elven fingers," Alistair replied.

"What sort of stone? Coloring I mean?" the jeweler asked.

"Hmmm, I guess I hadn't thought about it," Alistair said.

"Give me a moment," the man raised a finger. He went into the back of the store and returned with a box full of beautifully crafted rings of every color imaginable. Alistair's eyes were drawn to a red stone the exact color of Temene's hair. He picked it up and looked at it closer.

"Oh, that ring is sure to bring her luck," the jeweler replied.

The stone was flawless and Alistair couldn't even guess at the price. "Um, about the payment," Alistair hesitated.

"I can send a bill directly to the palace coffers. King Cailan bought many jewels, though not many from me."

"Oh, wonderful," Alistair said in a surprised tone. He looked over the ring again and felt it was a good decision. "I supposed I should get something for myself," he wondered.

"I have nothing more in that stone at the moment, but I have this lovely amethyst," the jeweler went on.

"Mmmm, not such a fan of purple. What about that blue one?" Alistair pointed.

"Ah, yes an excellent choice. Please, try it on."

Alistair slipped the ring over his finger but it would not slide down all the way. "Hmmmm fat fingers," Alistair laughed.

"If you give me a few hours I can enlarge it for you," the jeweler replied.

"Okay," Alistair nodded.

"Shall I keep the two rings together?" the jeweler asked.

"Yes," Alistair replied.

He left the jeweler in a happy mood and headed for the tailor to find a dress for her. He stopped near two young girls who were making crowns from a nearby patch of flowers growing beside the Chantry. "Um, excuse me, could you make me one of those?" Alistair asked.

"You want to wear flowers in your hair?" one of the girls giggled.

"No, it is for a girl. A big girl. Well, she isn't that big. She is an elf. Her head is a little bigger than yours," Alistair pointed at the taller of the two girls.

"What do we get?" the older girl asked.

"Um, I don't know, I have some gold," Alistair offered.

"Gold?" the girl frowned.

"How about chocolate? Little children love chocolate!" Alistair asked.

"Mama won't let us have chocolate," the younger girl said.

"Shut up Ruby," the older girl nudged her. "Bring us four big chocolate bars and we will make one for you."

"Four, you will get sick," Alistair protested. The girl frowned so he finally agreed.

He made his way to the candy shop before finally finding the tailor hidden among two taverns.  
>The hawkers were happy to help the would-be king and oversold him on an expensive silver brocade dress with delicate gauze underneath. "Don't get any of that chocolate on this. We don't accept returns," the dress seller added as he left with the paper-wrapped gown under his arm.<p>

He returned and gave the girls their chocolate reward and took the flower crown from them. He took lunch at a local tavern before returning to the jeweler for the rings. The ring fit well and he hoped Temene's would as well. He slipped back into Eamon's estate and carefully hid his purchases in his own room. He had once last stop that he planned to make before trying to get Temene out of the estate for a few hours.

He asked Wynne to invite her out to buy potion supplies, which Wynne thought was a terrible idea. He seemed nervous and finally confessed his plan to her. "I will take care of everything," Wynne said with a slight smile.

Wynne left with Temene, promising to be back just before dinner. The two women went out into the city to buy fabric while Alistair made arrangements in the estate, hoping to stay out of Eamon's eyesight. He had one of the servants lay out Temene's dress and flower crown and managed to find a decent outfit to wear himself. He made sure the small Chantry chapel was swept and carefully wrapped the rings in a cloth.

Wynne and Temene returned and sat down to dinner with everyone else. There was a secrecy that hung in the air but Temene was too hungry to notice, having not eaten for the entire day. She ate slightly too make and retired to her room, Alistair following her furtively. When she got to her room she found the dress and crown lying carefully on the bed. "What is this?" she asked, hearing his footsteps behind her.

"Temene Surana, will you be my wife ?" he asked her, kneeling down in the doorway.

"Alistair?" she looked at him with shock on her face. "I don't know what to say."

"Say yes," he smiled sheepishly.

"I didn't think you were so serious and this is so sudden," she added.

"There is nothing more I want in life than to have you at my side forever," he replied.

"I, I am speechless," she stumbled over her words.

"Just say one word."

She thought for a moment but did not want to drag out her decision for too long. He stared at her, waiting for her answer. She loved him but he seemed to be rushing to clear his misdeed of the previous evening. "Maker help me," she finally sighed.

"Is that a yes?" he smiled.

"Let me change, you fool," she waved him away and pulled the dress off the bed.

"I will be in the chapel," he slipped out of the door.

Temene changed and pulled on the lovely dress. It was only a little too long, but served well for a wedding dress. The flower crown was far too large however and fell just above her eyebrows. She sat for a moment wondering if she could go through with it. She would have to accept him marrying another woman and trying to father a child with her. Her stomach was wracked with worry and doubt but she climbed off the bed and left her room.

She went to the small chapel and found Alistair waiting with Wynne and Leliana. Leliana had dressed in her Chantry robes and would be presiding over the ceremony. "How many of you knew about this?" Temene asked.

"Alistair asked me to officiate this afternoon," Leliana replied. "I am so happy for the two of you."

"Alistair asked me to get you out of the castle. I asked Morrigan to come but she only had a disgusted look on her face at the idea. Sten grumbled something and Oghren is already toasting to your honeymoon in his room," Wynne said, Cullen sitting at her side.

"I see," Temene nodded.

"You never told me what to say," Leliana whispered to Alistair.

"Just make something up," Alistair whispered back. He took Temene's hands in his and smiled at her.

"Um, we are gathered here under the eyes of the Maker to join these two souls. Fate brought them together as Grey Wardens and love will bind them for the rest of their lives," Leliana began. "I have seen the love grow in both Temene and Alistair's eyes and heard the joyous cries of their lovemaking frequently."

"Leliana!" Temene blushed.

"Oh, yes," Leliana shook her head. '"I thought making it rhyme would be better. Uh, may the Maker bless your union and always keep your love for each other in your hearts," Leliana struggled with the last line.

"I think that is good enough," Alistair smiled at Temene. They shared a long kiss before Leliana clapped loudly.

"I had my doubts about you two, but I think you might actually do it," Wynne smiled.

As Temene looked into his eyes, she had her doubts. Besides the trouble they would have mending their relationship, they still had the Blight to contend with. None of the scouts had reported back with any activity more than small hordes. They returned to Temene's room but only slept beside each other on their wedding night. 


	58. Siege on Redcliffe

There was a great fervor in Eamon's estate when Temene and Alistair woke up. Scouts had returned to the city, reporting a great horde marching directly towards Redcliffe. Eamon had already ridden away from the estate towards his lands and the remaining staff was struggling to pack up and head home to protect their families. "We should ride after them," Riordan said when Temene and Alistair entered the dinning hall. "Even though the archdemon has still not been seen, it is only a matter of time."

"We should leave at once then," Alistair replied. "Can we arrange horses to take all of us?"

"It is fortunate you have access to the palace stables. We will be able to acquire horses there to speed our journey," Riordan replied.

"I shall fetch them," Alistair said. "Pack what we must."

He hurried off as Temene awoke the rest of the party. Alistair returned with several horses and grooms as everyone was preparing to leave. They left the city and rode furiously towards Redcliffe. They arrived at the village at nightfall and already found the walls under attack from Darkspawn. "We've got to protect the village first and then make our way to the castle," Alistair called.

The village had already been ravaged by its lack of defenses. The few knights that remained had managed to keep casualties to a minimum though the entire village was aflame. "Where have you taken the remaining villagers?" Alistair asked one of the knights.

"They are safe inside the Chantry for now, as long as we keep the Darkspawn from razing it," the knight informed him.

"Remain here and protect the villagers. We will make our way to the castle," Alistair ordered.

Temene looked on him with slight wonder. He seemed to finally be accepting his leadership role and led them forward towards the castle. They fought through the Darkspawn hordes and finally reached the castle gates at dawn. They were exhausted more a hard night of fighting. Arl Eamon led a unit of soldiers atop the castle wall, raining arrows down on the few Darkspawn left that pressed the walls. The Wardens were let through the castle gates and joined Eamon.

"There are many Darkspawn here, but this cannot be the main horde," Riordan looked down from the battlements.

"I sent more scouts out to search for any remaining hordes as soon as we reached Redcliffe," Eamon replied. "We should take this time to rest while we can."

They entered the castle to rest and replenish their energy. The scouts returned later with news that an enormous horde was now headed to Denerim, with the archdemon leading them. "This is grave news indeed," Riordan consulted with the other Wardens.

"We should leave right away," Eamon replied.

"No, it will be better to rest until tomorrow. We will be useless against the horde if we are fatigued," Riordan said. "We must send our fastest scouts to call our allies to Denerim."

"Then we shall march tomorrow," Alistair added. "Eamon, send you best scout to our allies."

"I am going to help attend to the wounded in the village then I will return to rest," Wynne said.

"I will go as well," Temene replied.

"I am afraid we have Grey Warden business we must discuss my lady," Riordan interrupted.

"I will help Wynne," Leliana offered.

The women left for the village while the Wardens conferred in private. "I do not know how much Duncan told you about the archdemon," Riordan began.

"Only that it speaks to the horde," Alistair replied.

"There is also a particular reason that the Grey Wardens must hunt it. At the point of the archdemon's death, it will seek out another vessel to possess. This is what makes it virtually invincible. Its essence will seek out something with the taint. If an ordinary person were to kill the dragon, it would make no difference since it would simply seek out another darkspawn to inhabit. One of us must strike the killing blow," Riordan went on.

"What happens when the archdemon possesses a Warden?" Temene asked.

"They die along with the archdemon. It is yet another heavy price we must pay. As the senior Warden, it should be myself that strikes the killing blow if possible," Riordan answered.

"And if we all fall?" Temene asked.

"Then Ferelden is doomed."

They sat in silence for a while, taking in what Riordan had just said. Their situation seemed even more grim. Riordan suggested they get as much rest as possible and excused himself. Alistair and Temene returned to their room in silence. "This, this is bad," Alistair said.

"I certainly didn't think it would be must do our best, that is all we can do. Whatever the cost, we must get to the archdemon," Temene shook her head.

"I am going to get dinner," he added, kissing her on the forehead.

"I think I am going to take bath," she replied.

"I will bring you something back," he smiled and left her.

Temene went to the kitchen for hot water and managed to get a full bath poured As she soaked, Morrigan knocked quietly on the door. "Come in," Temene said, covering herself with a cloth. "Have you to finally make your peace before we go into battle against the archdemon?"

"In a way," Morrigan replied, standing in the doorway.

"Then do not linger, you are letting the cold air in," Temene said.

Morrigan closed the door and sat down on the bed. "I know what price the Wardens have to pay to bring death the archdemon," Morrigan said.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Temene asked.

"No. My mother made sure I was fully informed before I made my journey with you. I am here to offer you an alternative," Morrigan answered.

"An alternative to certain death? How can you possibly guarantee that?"

"There is a blood ritual that will allow the archdemon's essence the seek out an unborn child instead of someone infected by the taint."

"Whose unborn child?" Temene asked.

"Mine of course. I assure you the child would not be harmed but simply possess the soul of an old god. All I would ask in return would be to leave with the child and the promise that you would never try to contact me."

"Was this your plan all along. Or your mother's?" Temene wondered.

Morrigan's silence confirmed Temene's suspicions that this had been the reason they had been saved and aided by Flemeth. "Why are you telling me this? Are you already with child?" Temene asked.

"That is where you must come in. You must convince Alistair to lie with me."

"Are you insane? That is just, no," Temene protested. "Why Alistair?"  
>"The child must be conceived with a Warden."<p>

"Couldn't I simply perform the ritual and carry the child?" Temene asked.

"Only someone with a deep knowledge of my mother's magic would be able to perform the ritual," Morrigan answered.

"Then why not Riordan? He is a Warden as well."

"He has been exposed to the taint too long. It must be Alistair, as much as I would prefer otherwise."

"I can't, he would never agree to it."

"You must. It will spare both of your lives if Riordan should fail in his duties. You would be saving your life, as well as Alistair's. If you wish it, I will leave you."

"Just, let me think. By myself," Temene sunk into the tub. She knew they had a very slim chance to defeat the archdemon themselves but she couldn't ask Alistair to do something so unthinkable. She dunked her head under the water and tried to rationalize Morrigan's proposal. 


	59. Dark Ritual

Temene climbed out of the tub and dried off, letting her wet hair fall around her shoulders. She paced the room, trying to work things out in her head. Her relationship with Alistair, despite their recent marriage, was still fragile and she didn't want to bring it up in the heat of battle. "Are you alright?" Alistair entered with a large plate of food. "You look a bit ill."

"Alistair, we need to talk," Temene said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"You look paler than usual, this can't be good," he replied, reaching over for her hand. "This is about the ring right? You hate it? The jeweler really sold me on it but I thought the stone looked kind of funny. I thought you liked red though?"

"No, Alistair the ring is just fine," Temene interrupted his ramblings.

"Then this must have to do with Morrigan. I saw her in the hall as I passed. She gave me this look. I don't know how to describe it."

"Yes, " Temene paused. "You know, the odds of all three of us wardens surviving the siege on Denerim and finding the archdemon are slim. What if we could ensure than any hand could slay the dragon and end the Blight?"

"What do you mean? Riordin said that one of us would have to do it or the dragon would simply be reborn in one of the darkspawn."

"Morrigan, or I am assuming her mother has devised a ritual in which Morrigan would conceive a child that the archdemon would seek out after it is slain. This way any man could slay the dragon if we do not succeed."

"Now I may be daft but I was always told that in order to conceive a child, a man and woman have to," Alistair paused and made a face.

"I know this is asking a lot but I doubt that a Blight has ever been ended by three Grey Wardens, two of them wildly unexperienced. I would never ask this under normal circumstances, but," she gulped.

"You want me to sleep with Morrigan? I would have to be really drunk and maybe knocked unconscious," he tried to joke. She only looked at him with a grim expression.

"I know you are serious, but its Morrigan," he sighed and looked at her. "But if I can do anything to keep you safe, I will do it," he finally added with a frown. "But do you really think we can trust her?"

"That is doubtful, but I am willing to take any risk to end this Blight," Temene replied.

"And I was looking forward to dinner," Alistair groaned, pushing the plate away from him. "Can you bring me some more wine?" he added, chugging the two mugs he had brought for them.

Temene left their room and went to the larder for more wine. As she filled the mugs from the cask, she spied a large vase and filled it. "Hopefully this will help," she returned, setting down the large vase full of wine.

"I doubt it," he said, chugging another mug.

"Eat a little so you don't get sick," she urged, sliding the plate back towards him.

He picked at the food and continued downing mugfuls of wine until he looked glassy-eyed. She pulled him towards the bed and had him lie down. She found Morrigan and brought her back to their room. "Nope, I'm not drunk enough," Alistair looked up.

"Just look at me Alistair," Temene went to the bed. She ran her hand down his face for reassurance.

"Anyone but Morrigan," he looked up at her. "Even Shale would be more pleasant." Morrigan groaned behind them but Temene gave her a silencing glance.

"Just close your eyes," Temene bent down and kissed him on the lips.

She tried not to think about what they had to do next and began undressing him. She kissed and caressed his body until he was ready. As she got up to leave he took her hand. "Will you stay next to me, I don't want you to go," he slurred. He looked up at her with half-closed eyes and a pitiful smile.

"I will be right here," she replied, trying to hide a painful sigh.

She glanced back to signal Morrigan and closed her eyes tightly. She curled up by his side and held his hand tightly. Alistair whimpered slightly when Morrigan climbed on top of him. Temene felt ill but remained at his side until Morrigan was finished. Morrigan slipped out of the room without a word, leaving them alone.

"I think I am going to be sick," Alistair finally groaned.

Temene hurried to find something for him to retch in. She grabbed a nearby bowl and brought it to him. "I want to take a bath," he groaned after he'd vomited.

"I will fetch some water and throw this out," Temene replied.

She took the bowl to dispose of it and brought hot water for a bath. She helped Alistair into the tub and brought him some cold water to drink. The hot water was soothing to him, but Temene had to keep him from falling asleep and drowning. She managed to get him propped up and fixed a poultice for him to eat so he would not be ill in the morning. She made him eat the foul poultice and put him back into bed after changing the bed linens. She slept beside him, hoping that what they had just been through would be worth it.


	60. Heroes

The Wardens and their companions awoke at dawn and rode towards Denerim at a frantic pace. The city was well under siege when they arrived near nightfall. The sky was red from the flames that invaded the capital city. The Dalish elves had already arrived and fought alongside the city guard. They joined the Wardens at the city gates and helped drive their way inside. As they fought their way through, the few mages that could be spared from the Circle Tower arrived and helped make quick work of the horde at the gates.

The archdemon flew suddenly over the city walls towards Fort Drakon with a shriek. "I suspect that the dragon will have made his perch on top of the Fort, so I will head there directly. I will need you and Alistair to seek out the two darkspawn generals that I sense. It will make our confrontation with the archdemon much easier," Riordan turned to Temene. "I recommend you leave some of your party here to keep more darkspawn from entering the city until our remaining allies arrive."

"I will remain here," Morrigan raised a knowing eyebrow at Temene.

"As will I," Sten replied. "No darkspawn will pass these gates while I still stand."

"I am not going to let you have all the fun!" Oghren replied, slapping Sten on the back.

"I will stay as well. You understand my natural dislike for anything with wings," Shale added.

"Then Wynne and Leliana shall come with us," Temene said.

The Wardens split up and headed towards their destinations. Temene and Alistair made their way towards the inner parts of the city, hoping to find the darkspawn generals quickly. They pressed their way into the city, fighting the bands of darkspawn as they went along. The darkspawn had brought a full compliment of ogres and shrieks with them, making the fighting difficult. Some of the Dalish elves had penetrated the city as well and offered assistance with their bows. The general they encountered in the market was imposing but the constant barrage of elven arrows allowed the Wardens to fight the general themselves.

"Where would the other general be?" Temene wondered. "I am not sensing any strong force."

"Give me a moment," Alistair stilled himself. He closed his eyes and tried to sense the general's presence. "A large tree, the general must be in the Alienage," he added.

"There are no defenses in the Alienage, we have to hurry," Temene urged them on.

They made their way through the Alienage and found the general. Despite their lack of defense, the city elves had somehow managed to keep casualties to a minimum with simple weapons and sheer force. They were joined by their Dalish brethren and the darkspawn were driven out quickly, some tumbled off the bridge that separated the Alienage from the city.

With both generals dead, the Wardens hurried to catch up to Riordan at Fort Drakon. They saw the archdemon take flight again and paused for a moment, seeing a small figure atop the giant beast. "By the Maker, what is he doing?" Alistair looked up, figuring it was Riordan.

"Look, he has wounded it," Temene pointed, seeing the dragon's wing failing. The archdemon flew back towards the Fort, casting Riordan off with a final pathetic beating of its wings.

"Oh no!" Leliana cried out, seeing the tiny figure falling from the sky.

"It is up to us now," Temene looked away. "Gods help us."

"I only hope Morrigan was telling the truth," Alistair glanced at Temene.

The Wardens found the Fort in good shape considering the rest of the city. The dwarves had taken advantage of the nearly empty Deep Roads to make a quick underground march directly to the city and into the Fort's hidden basement. "We will defend the Fort for now and when the darkspawn retreat, we will be there to cut them off," Kardol said, shaking Temene and Alistair's hand in greeting.

"Your assistance will be invaluable," Temene replied.

Some of the non-Legion dwarves joined the Wardens as they climbed towards the top of the fort's tower. The archdemon seemed to have placed his best troops in their path, but with their allies, the Wardens were able to fight forward. They found soldiers still alive in the fort who informed them that the archdemon was still perched atop the tower. "We should regroup before trying to face the dragon, as urgent as time is," Temene sat down to rest for a moment.

Alistair knelt and caught his breath. "I should strike the killing blow to the archdemon," he announced out of earshot of Temene. "I want you to protect her," he pointed the soldiers to her.

"Yes, my lord," the soldiers nodded.

"Some should remain here to hold the doors when the archdemon calls the horde towards him," Temene said. "We need to be able to face the archdemon alone."

"You would be better protected remaining here then," Alistair replied.

"No, I am a Warden. I will not hide from the dragon," Temene insisted. Alistair wanted to protest but they had no time to argue. He didn't want her in harms way in case Morrigan's ritual did not work.

They carefully slipped out of the large doors that lead to the tower's peak and found the dragon brooding over its wounded wing. As soon as it spied the Wardens, it cried out with a terrible shriek. It was perched out of their reach, so they rushed quickly for the fort's ballistas. After a few heavy arrows, the dragon attempted to stir and limped above them with its wounded wing. It cried out again and landed, blasting them with its ethereal breath. Temene and Wynne managed to shield the party with magic as Leliana and some of the dwarves continued pelting the dragon with arrows.

Alistair ran forward quickly and began slashing at the dragon's feet, avoiding its bowed wing. The dragon snapped at him as he quickly dodged and hacked at the archdemon. Temene tried to slow the dragon with blasts of cold and paralyzing wards. Alistair managed a deep wound in the dragon's belly but it quickly swatted him aside, sending him tumbling across the ground. Temene ran forward, driving the bottom of her staff into the gaping wound, opening it further. The archdemon struggled, falling to the ground and snapping the staff in half.

Without thinking, Temene drew Spellweaver from her back and ran up the wounded wing. She drove the sword into the dragon's head with all her strength. She was immediately blinded by the spirt that inhabited the old god and felt paralyzed. She tried to move her hands the the hilt of her sword but could not compel her body to move. The spirit did not invade her as she expected but cast her backwards with a powerful wave of energy.

Alistair rushed to her side, fearing she was dead. "Damn you Temene, it was supposed to be me," he held her limp body tightly.

"She's not dead, is she?" Leliana ran to her side.

"I don't know," Alistair replied, shaking off his gauntlet to feel for a pulse on her neck. His heart was beating so fast he could not discern any pulse. "No, no, no," he cried out shaking her.

Wynne knelt at his side and tried to calm him as he wept. She took Temene's hand to check for herself. She felt a very faint pulse and gently pushed Alistair aside. "She still lives," she said joyfully, putting her hands on Temene's chest. She could feel very shallow breaths and tried to awaken her. It was a long while before she finally stirred, the remaining guards and dwarves gathered around her in a circle. She opened her eyes and saw Alistair staring down at her once again.

"This is the last time you are going to do this to me," he tried to laugh. "You are banned from fighting from now on."

"What happened?" she asked, her thoughts confused by what had just occurred.

"You did it. You ended the Blight," he smiled at her and held her tightly.

"All hail the Hero of Ferelden," one of the guards shouted.

"Hail the Hero of Ferelden," the group gathered around them shouted.


	61. It's Good to Be the King

Temene was escorted to the palace as the last of darkspawn fled from the city. Alistair called for reports of the damage and casualties and sent Temene off to rest. He dozed in the chair next to the bed, trying to keep a vigil at her bedside. Eamon came in quietly to speak with Alistair as she slept. "You should rest in your own room," Eamon whispered, seeing Temene in the bed.

"No, I want to stay with her," Alistair replied.

"I thought that once you accepted the crown," Eamon began before Alistair raised a hand to silence him.

"I won't discuss this with you now. I know what I am doing," Alistair replied.

"Very well," Eamon conceded. "But we will have to make arrangements for your coronation."

"The city needs time to recover. I will go out tomorrow and survey what needs to be done and decide from there," Alistair added. Eamon nodded and made his way out.

Temene stirred for a moment and called out for Alistair. "Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"Just Eamon. He wanted to see how you were doing," Alistair lied.

"Is everyone else okay?" she asked.

"Yes, everyone besides Morrigan has returned, but I suspect she got what she wanted out of us. No that I am not grateful for our lives. Or your life really," he replied.

"I promise I won't nearly die anymore," she tried to smile.

"Good, I don't think I could take it one more time," he stood up and knelt over the bed to kiss her forehead. "I don't think I have ever been more hungry in my life. Would you like something to eat?"

"I am starved," she replied.

Alistair had servants bring in food and they ate voraciously. Temene's body still ached, but she got up to sit by the fire for a while. She visited with her companions and exchanged stories from the day's fighting. Sten announced that he would be returning to his lands right away. He said little else to her, but made an attempt to thank her for his life. Alistair finally put her back to bed and cuddled beside her for the evening.

The next few days were spent surveying the damage to the city and dealing with the reports of the fleeing darkspawn. A report was sent to Weisshaupt, informing the Warden Commander about the Blight. First Enchanter Irving asked Temene to return to the Circle Tower to become a senior enchanter. She wanted to stay with the Wardens and Alistair and politely refused. She did promise to return for a few days to gather the rest of her things and do some research into the arcane warriors of old.

When things finally calmed, Alistair prepared for his coronation. He was nervous and paced around the castle all morning. He looked handsome in his royal garments but kept complaining that they felt stifling. "You know how bad I am with speeches, this is going to go bad," Alistair rambled as he paced his room.

Temene sat at a dressing table, amused at the scene. "You will do fine," she replied. "Just speak from your heart, and don't make any jokes."

"You'll be there, right. At my side? You are the Hero of Ferelden after all."

"Don't remind me of that ridiculous title," she smirked.

"It suits you. You did slay the archdemon after all," he smiled.

"It was not my feat alone. Both you and Riordan wounded it enough that I could destroy it."

"My beautiful and humble wife," he embraced her. "I love calling you that, you know."

She hugged him but felt a slight sense of regret deep inside. She was his wife in secret and only a few close friends knew of their marriage. The servants in the castle had already seen them together but took no notice, as Cailan was rumored to have had several mistresses. She knew he could never declare their marriage in order to keep up appearances in court and this angered her slightly. She didn't care much for the politics of men but she didn't want to browbeat Alistair into announcing their relationship to all of Thedas.

She stood at his side as he was crowned in the throne room in front of a large crowd of nobles. He praised Temene for her help despite Eamon's annoyed cough. "None of this would have been possible without my fellow Warden, Lady Temene Surana. I will grant her any wish her heart desires," he added.

Temene looked over the large crowd and didn't know what to say. Alistair had mentioned nothing of the sort before they'd left his room. "Um," Temene said hesitantly. She thought for a moment and began again.

"I am an elf and a mage. Two traits that are not highly regarded in Ferelden. Through my travels I have seen how my fellows are treated like second-class citizens. They have been sold into slavery and locked away from the known world for simply being born. My wish is for the citizens of Ferelden to be more accepting to my kind. Elves should be paid a fair wage for the work they do. Mages should not be forced to live in seclusion, nor should they lose their hereditary titles," she finished.

"I will do my best to make that possible, my lady," Alistair bowed his head. "I would also like to proclaim that the lands belonging to Arl Howe in Amaranthine will now be the sole possession of the Grey Wardens. We will rebuild our order, so that no Ferelden citizen will fear darkspawn again."

"There is a crowd of citizens in the square outside demanding to see their new ruler and Hero," Teagan interrupted. "I think it wise that we appease them," he smiled.

"My lady," Alistair motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

As the crowd parted to let them through, Eamon caught up with Temene. "We may have had our disagreements my lady, but I thank you for your kind words. I hope that someday my son will be able to regain his title," he said.

"We all deserve equal treatment," Temene replied.

She stepped out onto the large balcony that overlooked the palace square. A large crowd squeezed together in the small square, thankful that the Blight had been ended. They cheered as Alistair stepped onto the balcony in his royal attire. He gave the crowd a similar speech and vowed to improve Ferelden. He praised Temene once again and reiterated her wish of better treatment for mages and elves.

There was a great feast and celebration later in the evening in the great hall. The Wardens and their companions that remained enjoyed food and drink and discussed their futures. Wynne had been assisting Shale in her research of the lost dwarven thaigs and would be setting off in a few weeks to do some excavating. Leliana didn't have much of an idea where to go and would be remaining in Denerim indefinitely. Oghren was too drunk to speak to but kept going on about his lost love.

Alistair and Temene retired to their rooms as the party went late into the night. Alistair followed Temene to her bed, stumbling into the doorway. He was slightly drunk and pawed at Temene who was equally inebriated. "Let's take off all our clothes and run around the castle," Alistair laughed as he pulled off Temene's dress.

"What an improper thing for the king to propose," Temene laughed, kissing him on the lips.

"I am the king. I can do anything I want."

"Then let's sneak into the throne room and make love," Temene grinned, pulling down his pants.

"Oh, you are truly devious. Let's go," he pulled her towards the door.

They pulled on robes and snuck towards the throne room, slipping past the guard while trying to stifle their laughter. It was cold and empty in the large hall, the torches remaining unlit for the evening. Temene lit one with a spell and walked towards the throne. She lit the brazier next to the throne and left the torch inside. "Come my love, sit on my throne," Alistair grinned.

They drunkenly kissed one another and made love on the throne before returning to Alistair's room to sleep. They were both mildly ill in the morning from too much wine and stayed in bed most of the day. As the weeks passed, they tried their best to keep their relationship under wraps but were often seen slipping in and out of each other's rooms. Eamon began hearing whispers and rumors from the castle staff and began making inquires with the noble houses of Ferelden. 


	62. Tranquility

Alistair sat in his quarters, trying to arrange a suitable dinner for Eamon's farewell. The Arl would finally be returning to Redcliffe after mentoring Alistair in the months after the fall of archdemon. Teagan had long returned to the village to make sure the damage from the darkspawn was being repaired. Eamon came in to speak with Alistair, who sat trying to decide what courses to serve.

"I have some interesting news," Eamon said. "It seems not all the Couslands were killed in the attack on Highever. Elissa Cousland has been hiding in Amaranthine but has returned to reclaim the arling. The Couslands are a fine noble family, I think it would be a good match if you could persuade her," Eamon said.

"Do we have to talk about this now? Why do we have to rush into this?" Alistair asked.

"You cannot avoid it forever. The people will expect you to marry," Eamon replied.

"I will consult with her," Alistair insisted. "In time."

"I trust you will keep your, dalliances hidden in the meantime," Eamon asked.

"She is not just a," Alistair said before he was interrupted by a messenger.

"I am sorry for interrupting my lord but this urgent letter just arrived for Lady Surana. It is from the Grey Wardens," the messenger said.

"I will take it to her," Alistair took the letter. "I will see you at dinner," he said to Eamon.

He left his room and found Temene playing with Cullen in the main hall. The dog happily chased a ball across the large room, his bark echoing between the stone walls. "A letter for you from the Grey Wardens," he held up the letter. He kissed her gently on the cheek and handed her the letter.

"I will be glad when Eamon is gone," Alistair said as she removed the wax seal from the letter. "We can spend a little more time together without him looking over my shoulder. He is already trying to find me a wife."

"It is an unfortunate necessity I suppose," she sighed, opening the letter. She scanned the letter quickly and picked up the twine ball Cullen had retrieved. She tossed the ball far across the hall as Cullen scampered quickly after it again.

"It seems your generous deeds will be taking me away instead," Temene added as she finished the letter. "I've been made the new Warden Commander for Ferelden and the High Warden wants me to oversee the transition of leadership at Vigil's Keep."

"Warden Commander? Well, I should bow to you then," he grinned, trying to wrestle the ball from Cullen.

"I was already going to Lake Calenhad. It seems I will be away much longer now," she replied.

"We haven't spent any time apart since we've met," he frowned. "I don't know what I will do with myself."

"I can leave Cullen here to keep you company," she suggested.

"What do you think boy?" Alistair asked the dog. "Should we let Temene go or chain her to the bed to keep her around?" he joked.

"Oh now you are being naughty, the dog doesn't need to hear that," Temene teased. "Besides, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"And the loins burn brighter," he kissed her on the lips. "I will miss you terribly."

"Amaranthine is not far away. You can visit me if you get too desperate," she added as he hugged her.

"I'll stow away in your luggage," he pouted.

"You will be fine," she stroked his face. "We'd better clear out of the hall before they start setting the tables."

They parted ways, Alistair returning to his quarters and Temene taking Cullen to the larder for his meal. Eamon's dinner went well and he toasted to Temene's new position as Warden Commander. He seemed pleased that something would be taking her away from the palace. As much as Temene did not want to leave Alistair, she had found the palace stifling. It was full of fawning nobles and apologetic servants. She was almost excited to be leaving for a while.

Eamon left the next day and Temene began packing for her short trip to the Circle Tower. She wanted to browse the library for books on the arcane warriors. She hoped they would provide good reading for her time in Amaranthine. She assumed it would be boring overseeing the Keep and would need something to occupy her time without Alistair.

She left for the Circle Tower a few days later, promising Alistair to be back before she left for Amaranthine. It was strange traveling alone and she was left with her own thoughts. Thoughts of Alistair searching for a queen gave her jealous pangs of anxiety. It had been hard enough seeing him through the ritual Morrigan had performed, she wasn't prepared to see him marry someone else, sham marriage or not. She was also reluctant to run into Cullen at the tower. They had not parted ways how Temene had wished and she wondered how he had faired in the past few months.

When she arrived at the tower, she found it dramatically changed. Through Alistair's promise to Temene of giving the mages more freedoms, many of the templars were no longer needed. The doors to the entrance were no longer barred as tightly and the mages were able to move around the island with few limits. Greagoir still remained the Knight-Commander, overseeing the Harrowings and providing some assurance to the Chantry that the mages weren't running wild.

"So much has changed here," Temene said as Greagoir greeted her in his usual cold manner.

"The king's doing and in thanks to you," he said with a slight hint of annoyance. "The tower has fully recovered from Uldred's rampage."

"I am glad to see it," she replied. "Who yet remains of the templars?" she tried to pry for information on Cullen.

"Very few, as you can see. Many were transferred to other parts of Thedas where they were needed," he said, his voice becoming slightly angry.

"I will not trouble you any longer. I will see myself to Irving's study," Temene replied, not wanting to anger him further. She was slightly relieved that Cullen was not there, but deep down wished to see him again.

She went straight to Irving's study and found the wizened mage dosing at his desk. "Temene, you have finally returned," he stood up to greet her, pretending not to have been asleep.

"I do not know all that remains of my possessions here but I also wanted to consult the library on the order of arcane warriors. Are you familiar at all with them?" Temene asked.

"Very little. The order is ancient, I believe. I do not know how much help the library will provide. Speak to Jowan, he has become quite familiar with it," Irving said. "I am very glad you were able to convince him to return."

"Jowan? So, he is," Temene replied, caught off guard by the mention of his name.

"Tranquil, yes. He returned with the templars Arl Eamon called for and was quite repentant of his misdeeds, but he could no longer be allowed to practice magic. He is better off this way," Irving replied.

"I suppose," Temene sighed.

She entered the library with a sick feeling in her stomach, seeing Jowan replacing books in a mechanical fashion. "Hello," he turned as he heard her enter. "What can I help you with?"

"Hello Jowan," Temene gulped.

"Temene, you have returned to the tower. Is there something I can get you from the library?" he asked monotonously.

"I was wondering if you have any books on arcane warriors or ancient elven magic," she asked hesitantly. She felt on the verge of tears seeing her former friend as an empty shell of himself. She knew it was her fault for convincing him to return to the tower.

"I will have to consult the catalog, one moment please," he walked away, his feet shuffling as he left his stack of books.

Temene held her hand over her mouth to hold in her tears. 'I could have let him go or given him the death he desired,' she thought to herself as he browsed the large catalog text. She turned away and wiped a few tears from her face. She sat down at one of the desks as a small group of mages entered the room. As they practiced some minor spells, she played with the neck of her dress nervously, keeping her eyes fixed on the worn desk. She couldn't bear to look at Jowan as he pulled books from the shelves.

He set them down next to her and went back to returning books to the shelves. She couldn't read them at the moment and took them with her as she returned to the guest quarters. She desperately wanted someone to talk to but sat by herself. She felt a great amount of self-loathing and took to her bed to get her mind off things. 


	63. Sibling Rivalry

It had been months since the Hawke siblings had begun working off their debt to Athenril but the work was no less exciting. Hawke wasn't too fond of helping smuggle goods into the city, but some of them were at least helpful to the scores of Ferelden refugees that had settled in the city. The crowding had calmed down slightly, as word of the defeat of the archdemon had spread to Kirkwall. Some refugees had returned to Ferelden but most did not have the money for the ship fare back home.

Lene hated living in her uncle's home and sharing a room with her mother and brother. They'd acquired a large bunk bed where each of them slept in the tiny home Gamlen kept. Lene slept on the top bunk since is was easier for her to climb the small ladder. She was stuck up near the hot ceiling of the house, but luckily away from the occasional rats their uncle couldn't catch. Carver slept on the bottom bunk and dealt with the rats himself.

The siblings tried to keep their spirits up around their mother, as they could see their new life was not easy on her. Away from the house, the siblings fought like cats and dogs. As best that Lene tried to hide her magical abilities in their smuggling tasks, they came out on occasion and Carver never wasted an opportunity to chastise her. Lene had secretly begun saving as much coin as she could, hoping to find her own place once their year of service ended.

On a particular day, the siblings found themselves in the Gallows, waiting for a shipment of smuggled lyrium to arrive. They tried to look as inconspicuous as possible but Carver kept insisting that Lene stood out like a sore thumb. "What the hell do you want me to do Carver, go to the Circle of Magi and beg to be made tranquil?" Lene asked.

"I didn't say that, but maybe you shouldn't carry that big staff around," he replied.

"Do you want me to shoot lightning out of my eyeballs instead? Dad never taught me that," Lene rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you should invest in a smaller one," he replied quietly.

Lene frowned but only mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath. She was growing tired of his ornery attitude. "Well, the shipment should have been here by now," she finally said. "I am going to have a look around."

Carver opened his mouth to protest but she had already walked away. She walked around the market that was growing crowded in the late afternoon. She was sure to make eye contact with all the templars she passed so as not to look suspicious. One set of eyes caught her interest for a moment. She thought they looked familiar and turned around to follow the man. She didn't want to tap him on the shoulder, for fear she'd been mistaken, so she followed him until she could get a full glimpse of his face.

"Cullen!" she finally waved slightly as his scanning eyes passed near hers.

"Lene, is that you?" Cullen asked, squinting slightly to look at her.

"What are you doing here in Kirkwall?" she asked. "I thought you'd gone to the Circle Tower in Ferelden?"

"I was for a while, but I was promoted to Knight-Captain and reassigned here," he replied. "What brings you to Kirkwall?"

"I came with my family during the Blight. We barely escaped before Lothering was destroyed."

"I am glad you are alright. I heard so many were not so lucky. It's so strange that we should meet under such circumstance. I haven't seen you since," Cullen said, blushing slightly. Lene remembered vividly the last time they'd seen each other. She couldn't help but smile as Cullen blushed nervously in front of her.

"So," Cullen added nervously, looking down at his boots. "Will you be returning to Ferelden or have you settled into the city?"

"I don't really have anything to go back to I suppose. The village was destroyed and they say that nothing will grow in the lands anymore," she replied.

"Is that your brother waving at you?" Cullen pointed.

Lene turned around to see Carver coming towards her with an angered look on his face. "I should go. Take care of yourself Cullen," Lene smiled. "Perhaps I will run into you again," she added with a smile.

Lene turned towards Carver and intercepted him before he could get any closer. "What in Andraste's name are you doing? You said you would be inconspicuous and I find you chatting with a Templar instead?" he asked. "Are you insane?"

"Relax, he is an old friend from Lothering, you have nothing to worry about," Lene reassured him.

"I do worry if the templars suddenly come pounding on our door to haul you away. Do you have any idea what that would do to mother?"

"What did you come over here for?" Lene replied angrily. "Did you find the shipment?"

"Yes, it was late because of a storm at sea. Come on, we need to get back to the docks," he replied.

They returned to the docks and helped get the shipment safely into the city. When they finished for the night, they returned to Gamlen's house for supper. Lene felt restless after dinner and wandered through Lowtown alone for a while. Cullen had been on her mind since she'd left him. She hadn't been with a man for a while and it wasn't easy meeting men with Carver hovering over her shoulder.

She wandered up into Hightown and found herself outside of the Red Lantern district. She didn't want to waste the coin she had saved but she felt a sudden desire that couldn't be controlled. She slipped unassumingly into the Blooming Rose and began searching for an appropriate target for her desires. What she paid for was worth it, but knew she couldn't afford to come back for a while, so she got as much out of it as she could.


	64. Once Upon A Time In Lothering

Cullen sat nervously in his small room in the Gallows apartments. He couldn't help but remember exactly the day he had last seen Lene Hawke. He'd been much younger and more foolish. It was the day before he was supposed to take his Templar vows and report to the Circle Tower. She'd found him while he was enjoying a book under the large oak tree at the edge of the village. "Cullen," she waved, her hair pulled back into a long braid.

"Lene," Cullen smiled. "You've been out picking berries again," he remarked, seeing her reddened lips and fingers.

"I still have some left," she grinned, unrolling her apron and letting the berries fall into her hands. She handed a few of them to Cullen and slid the rest into her mouth. She sat down beside him with a heavy sigh, falling onto him slightly. "They are perfectly ripe," she said, swallowing the last bit of berries still in her mouth.

Cullen ate the berries Lene had given him and marked the place in his book. "What are you reading?" Lene asked, looking down into his lap.

"It is a book by Justinia III," he replied.

"Still going to take your vows I take it?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"I'd at least thought you'd given mind to my proposition to join my sister and I as a band of traveling minstrels," Lene joked.

"I do not think I would be doing the Maker justice if I let all my studies go to waste," he replied, with a slight grin. "Besides, I cannot sing nor dance."

"So you will have no regrets then?" she asked, untying her long red hair and loosening it with her fingers. "Off to give those mages what for."

Her beauty stirred him often, but they had never been intimate before. He looked at her for a moment and hesitated to answer truthfully. "Well," he paused, his face reddening slightly.

"Oh, this must be good," she smiled. "Come on, you can tell me. We have been friends for years."

"It was just thinking, is just that, I've heard men in the Chantry speak many times about making love to a woman. I just wonder, if, well," he stumbled.

"You want to make love to a woman before you take your vows," she giggled.

"No, well," he paused, his face continuing to redden. "It's not like I would not be able to take a wife after I took my vows, but, it just doesn't seem right to have a distraction like that when you serve the Maker," he replied. "Besides, I will be going to the Circle Tower. I'll be watching over mages all day," he added.

Lene was silent for a moment. She still hadn't told Cullen that there were three apostate mages in her family, including herself. She didn't want to reveal this nor her secret longing for him. She bit her lip and tried to joke with him again. "So you have your eye on a particular bar maid or something?"

"No, I haven't given it much thought. It was just a passing fancy," he replied, glancing up at her. He found he could not remove his eyes from her as she stared back at him in silence. Her hair brought out the deep color her lips had been stained by the berries.

"Cullen," she laughed, as he stared back at her.

"What?" he finally said, his eyes finally free from her.

She kissed him suddenly, placing a quick peck on his lips before pulling away. "What was that for?" he asked, his heart instantly pounding.

"I was just testing you," she blushed and turned her face away shyly.

"Lene," he said, turning her face back towards his. He looked into her eyes for a moment and kissed her back, letting his tongue slip around her lips. They still bore the sweetness of the berries she had been eating. His unknowing hands fumbled at her body slightly as she pulled away to take a breath. She quickly dove back to his lips and fell into his arms.

The tree root he had been sitting against was now pressing against his backside, so he gently pushed her down to the grass. "Would you like to make love Cullen?" she asked softly, looking into his eyes.

"I,yes," he kissed her again, never having felt such excitement in his body before.

Neither of them was familiar with the mechanics of lovemaking, so they fumbled with each others' bodies for a moment, before pulling off their clothes. Cullen was tentative and gentle, not wanting to hurt her. She cried out only a little and gripped his back tightly with her hands. Things were over quickly but they were both left sweating with heavy breaths.

They dressed without saying much, Lene's dressed stained by the grass as she'd lain it. "I don't know if I will ever see you again," he said, embracing her and lacing a long strand of her hair between his fingers.

"I'd ask you to stay, but I know you will be a fine Templar," she smiled, giving him a small kiss. "Mages will be lucky to have such a good man watching over them."

"I should let you get home," he said, glancing over at the setting sun. "Lest your father chase me off to the Circle Tower with his tools."

She smiled, knowing her father would highly disapprove of her being with a templar. Cullen helped her to her feet and sent her off with a long embrace and another kiss. Cullen settled in at the Tower, trying to keep to himself as much as possible. Lene continued with her father's lessons in magic and helped out on the small farm as best she could.  
>Cullen let out a heavy sigh, remembering the first time he'd seen Temene after arriving at the Circle Tower. He'd nearly mistaken her for Lene. They had the same red hair but Temene had a thinner elven frame and was much quieter than Lene. She was always reading in the library, even after the lamps had been dimmed for bedtime. She sat in a corner, lighting the pages with a small flame in her hand. He thought about both women he had loved and knelt down for his nightly prayers to the Maker to reassure himself of his duties. He half hoped he wouldn't run into Lene again.<br> 


	65. Awakening

Temene left the Circle Tower as soon as she could. She couldn't bear seeing Jowan working at his mindless tasks. The Circle Tower was even more stifling since she'd experienced the world. She promised to return the books she had borrowed and returned to Denerim. She embraced Alistair as soon as she saw him, disheartened by her visit to the tower. "I didn't expect you so soon," he said with a slight tone of nervousness.

"You seem surprised," Temene pulled away.

"Um, just an unexpected visitor," he replied, turning his eyes away from her.

"What? Did Morrigan show up pregnant?" Temene asked, caught off guard by his nervousness.

"Maker no. I'd have jumped off the balcony if that happened," Alistair tried to joke. Temene only stared back at him with a look of concern. "It is just a noblewoman Eamon wanted me to meet. Arl Howe tried to kill her and her entire family. She is here petitioning to have her lands returned to her."

"Was this the same woman Eamon suggested to marry?" Temene wondered, sensing that Alistair was hiding something.

"Um, he might have mentioned something. I hoped she would have finished her business before you returned."

"So you could sneak her out of here under my nose?" Temene asked with a jealous tone.

"No, I," he stuttered. "I just didn't want you to have to be involved so early. I have barely spoken with her," he added.

"Where is Cullen?" Temene asked. "You've been taking care of him, right?"

"Elissa has a mabari as well, a female. He has been following her around since she got here. So how was the Circle Tower?" he tried to change the subject, seeing that she was visibly upset.

"It was unbearable. Jowan now stacks books in the library like a mindless drone," Temene frowned at him.

"Well he was dangerous. He is at least better off being Tranquil."

"I don't think so. I think I would rather be dead than Tranquil. You'd wouldn't understand, you aren't a mage," she turned away towards her own room.

"Now that isn't fair," Alistair protested as she walked out the door.

He could see the hurt on her face and did not follow her. He sat back down and his desk and ran his hands over his face. He knew he needed to get Elissa Cousland out of the castle as quickly as possible. He quickly signed the petition papers and returned them to Elissa in the guest quarters. He asked if they could wait until a later date to discuss any ideas on marriage and Elissa agreed to return to Highever and to expect him there in a month or so. He pulled Cullen away from her mabari, Ginger, and pushed him towards Temene's room.

Temene had tossed her books in the corner and asked the servants to bring her water for a bath. She'd hoped to come home to a shoulder to cry on and there was already another woman in the castle. As she sat hunched over her dressing table, Cullen pressed his nose against her side. "Oh go back to your bitch," she snapped angrily, burying her hands in her face. Cullen whined and crawled under the bed to hide.

She soaked in the tub as she thought about the past few days. She'd ridden the high of defeating the archdemon to its course and now her life seemed empty besides Alistair. She knew she had willingly accepted this life, but she didn't realize how hard it would be. She'd seen a lot of jealousy and scorn erupt from the trivial romances at the Mage's Circle, but she had always romanticized that truly loving someone would be easy. She had nothing else in her life but Alistair and wanted to keep him to herself.

Alistair stepped inside hesitantly, seeing her sitting in the tub with her eyes closed. The wet plaits of her hair covered her breasts and wrapped around her body. "I am sorry," he finally said, causing her to open her eyes. "I didn't ask her to come and wanted to wait until we could discuss it further."

He knelt down near the tub and looked into her eyes. "I'd never do anything to make you unhappy," he added.

"I know," she said, her dour expression still remaining. "I was upset about Jowan and was caught off guard. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to this relationship."

They sat in silence for a while before Alistair finally blurted out, "I will understand if you want to be with someone else. It is only fair."

"Alistair," she cried out with a heavy sigh, burying her face in her hands. "Why do you say such idiotic things! I just want to be alone right now. Please leave."

He left her alone, returning to his room with a lowered head. Temene sunk all the way under the water, wondering why he always said the wrong thing at the wrong time. 'I don't want anyone else,' she said to herself as the hot water made her head heavy. She sat up when her lungs tightened for air and she began to sob. She finally dragged herself out of the tepid water and sat huddled by the fire to dry.

Alistair tried to give her space and saw Elissa off the next morning. A woman arrived for Temene late in the afternoon, a large chest carried in with her. He knocked at Temene's door hesitantly and ordered the servants to carry the heavy chest inside. "Another letter from the Grey Wardens," Alistair said quietly as Temene turned from the desk she sat at.

"It is an honor my lady, I am Mhairi. I have been sent to escort you to Vigil's Keep," the woman nodded, handing Temene another sealed letter.

Temene opened the letter and quickly scanned the missive. "There is no theory why the darkspawn are not going to ground?" Temene asked.

"No, my lady. The seneschal at the Keep hopes you can offer of some assistance in finding out. The darkspawn seem even more prevalent around the city and coast," Mhairi answered.

"I will be ready to leave in a day or so," Temene said.

"I will wait at one of the inns until then. The Wardens from Orlais asked me to bring this to you," Mahairi motioned towards the chest.

"Thank you," Temene replied, standing up from the desk. She knelt down and turned the lock on the chest.

"So you will be leaving soon," Alistair said, hiding at the edge of the doorway.

"Kardol's letter that the returning horde was small didn't seem troubling at the time. There must be a reason they are not returning to the Deep Roads," Temene ignored his obvious question.

She opened the chest and found several pieces of Grey Warden armor inside. There was a silver cuirass emblazoned with a griffin, as well as a pair of gauntlets and greaves. Under the armor, a deep blue cloak and tunic was folded around a silver circlet. "I wish they'd sent a staff, " Temene said to herself. Wintersbreath had been smashed by the archdemon and she had not had the chance to replace it.

"I will send for a merchant," Alistair said, seeing that she was still not in the mood to talk.

He left her doorway and sent for a merchant to bring his best staves to the palace. He returned to her room and found her packing. "I don't know which one you would like, so you better come choose for yourself," he said quietly.

She placed the robe she was folding into her bag and followed Alistair into the dining hall where the merchant had set out a group of staves for her to choose from. She looked over each staff and finally chose one that looked of Tevinter origin. It had a large crystal at the apex that caught her eye. She felt a strong bond to her mana as she held the staff. "Speak to the man in the palace coffers for payment," Alistair nodded at the merchant.

"Thank you," Temene nodded at Alistair. "Would you join me for dinner in my chambers this evening as thanks?" she asked.

"Of course," he nodded.

They ate together in near silence later in the evening, though Temene's mood had softened. "I don't want to leave with this on my mind. I must accept what you will do while I am away," she finally said. "You have a duty to the country and I have a duty to the Wardens," she added.

"I will do nothing you disapprove of," he replied, taking her hand.

"I know you won't. You have been nothing but good to me and I have been horrible these past few days," she said.

"I have felt the same way at times," he tried to smile. "I do not know how other men keep themselves away from you. Naturally Cullen will stay here at the palace with me. I have always feared he would steal you away."

"It is only his breath that keeps me away," Temene finally smiled.

"I know this will be very hard for both of us. I just want you to know that I love you more than anything," he said.

"And I love you," she squeezed his hand.

"I think I will leave the palace for a while as well. The darkspawn have been troubling the Bannorn, so I will need to address the problem. And perhaps I will finally make a memorial for Duncan in Highever. I owe him everything, including you."

"He deserves great honor," Temene nodded.

They talked late into the evening and slept late into the morning. Temene hurried out of the castle, late for meeting Mhairi at the gates of the city. She hugged Alistair and Cullen goodbye and slung her heavy bag over her shoulder. She wore her new Grey Warden attire and attracted attention as she made her way through the city. Mhairi had arranged an ox to carry her things and helped tie the bag onto the large beast. The two women headed out of the city towards Amaranthine in the late morning sun.  
> <p>


	66. Unexpected Attack

Temene and Mahairi made good time on their way towards Vigil's Keep. They camped for the night and hoped to reach the keep late the next afternoon. In the morning, their journey was hampered by a storm and were not able to reach the keep before nightfall. They camped once again and set off in the drizzling rain the next morning. Mahairi explained that she had not yet taken her Joining but was excited to join the Wardens nonetheless. She asked a lot of questions that Temene did not know the answer to, as Temene was not familiar with the order either.

As they neared the keep in the late morning sun, Temene began to smell smoke. They had just left the edge of the Wending Wood and could see down into the valley that led to Amaranthine. "Is that smoke in the distance?" Temene squinted her eyes.

"It is hard to see. It may be some low lying clouds. They come from the coast at this time of day," Mahairi replied.

"Let us quicken our pace regardless," Temene said, spurring the oxen on.

They hurried along, reaching the edge of the keep's lands as another storm came upon them. They saw a figure running towards them and jogged to intercept him "What is happening?" Temene asked. "Is the Keep under attack?"

"It was the darkspawn, they came out of no where. I don't know if there is anyone left alive," the man replied.

"What about the Wardens from Orlais?" Mahairi asked.

"I don't know, the attack was so sudden. We had no warning. When I left there was a mage still inside," the man answered.

"Tend to this oxen," Temene said, running towards the keep with Mahairi behind her.

"This doesn't make any sense. How could the Wardens be so caught off guard?" Mahairi asked.

"Perhaps it is part of the same mystery as to why they remain above ground," Temene guessed. She pulled Spellweaver from her side and prepared to fight. The blade had been permanently stained black from the archdemon's blood but was still sharp as ever.

They encountered only a small group of darkspawn before reaching the courtyard of the keep. A few soldiers still remained but they were overwhelmed. Temene summoned an area spell to hinder the darkspawn's movements and gave the soldiers a chance to regroup. "There are more inside, along with some civilians," one of the soliders yelled, a slight look of relief on his face.

"We will hunt them down," Temene replied. "Hold this area."

They entered the first interior hall and found a line of dead darkspawn in their path. "Someone is doing our job for us," Mahairi commented.

A flaming darkspawn appeared from a doorway, rushing towards them. Temene quickly cut it down with her sword and peeked her head into the room it had come from. A man stood covered in blood, fire still emanating from his hands. "Are you one of the Wardens?" Temene asked.

"Survivors! I thought I was the only one left," the man smiled.

"I don't recognize him as one of the Wardens," Mahairi added.

"No, they, they are all dead I am afraid," he said.

"Who are you then?" Temene asked. "Where did these templars come from?" she added, seeing four templars dead around him.

"I didn't kill them if that's what you mean," the man pleaded. "They'd shackled me with their templar magic, so I could do nothing for them when the darkspawn attacked. They were on their way to return me to the Circle Tower."

"You are an apostate?" Temene asked. "I do not remember you."

"Yes, I thought you looked familiar. You were once at the Circle Tower as well," the man replied. "Your name, is Temene," he paused. "Timid Temene all the other mages used to call you. The little elf with buns in her hair always reading in the library, boy we had some jokes," he stopped, seeing her annoyed expression.

"Are you the mage who swam across Lake Calenhad?" Temene suddenly remembered him. "I never learned to swim because of you."

"Uh, yes that was one of my many escape attempts," he smiled slightly. "Anders is my name," he held out his hand.

She did not shake it and looked on him with suspicion. He held it towards Mahairi but she also refused to take it. "I am Mahairi," she finally said. "Have you seen any civilians inside?"

"I barred one of the doors down the hall to keep the darkspawn out. There may be more," Anders replied.

"We've got to clear these darkspawn out. It is strange, but I have a very hard time sensing them," Temene closed her eyes. "We could use your help," she asked Anders. She could see no evidence of magical injuries on the templars and assumed he was telling the truth about their deaths.

"Um, sure, I have nothing better to do," he replied.

Temene turned and proceeded down the hall with sword in hand. "That is a nice staff," Anders said, admiring Spellfury, still strapped to her back. "Woman are usually complementing my staff," he tried to joke.

Temene cast a disapproving glance at him and untied the staff, handing it to him. "I assume the templars took yours. You may use this for now," she said.

"You fight with a sword. That is very strange," Anders noted, taking the staff from her.

"It is a long story," Temene replied, turning back down the hall.

She felt only the weak presence of darkspawn and thought it odd. They continued on, making sure each room was clear before moving on. They passed another courtyard where a dwarf was hurling explosives at the small group of darkspawn. "He is going to bring the whole keep down," Mahairi yelled over the blasts.

"At least he is killing them," Anders replied.

They fought their way through the rest of the group and Temene urged to dwarf to seek refuge elsewhere. They heard a great commotion down the hall and ran towards it. Inside, another dwarf was making his way through another group of darkspawn with clumsy axe blows. "Oh no, I thought the Wardens would have gotten rid of him by now," Mahairi commented.

Temene looked closer at the dwarf and saw a familiar face. Oghren had grown his beard longer, but his distinctive smell still remained. She ignited the last darkspawn that stood nearby as Oghren finally noticed them in the doorway. "By the tits of my ancestors, Temene!" Oghren shouted, climbing over the bodies of the darkspawn.

"You know this dwarf?" Mahairi asked.

"Know me?" Oghren laughed. "I single-handedly got her out of Orzamar alive," he over-exaggerated.

"What are you doing here?" Temene asked.

"He's been here for a few weeks, hoping to join the Wardens," Mahairi sighed.

"I figure with you and the king bumping uglies in Denerim, the Wardens needed some fresh blood," Oghern replied.

Temene blushed at the mention of Alistair and Anders cast her a look of curiosity. "I thought you were going to mend things with Felsi?" Temene said, trying to deflect the conversation from her and Alistair.

"I did for a while, even had a kid. But married life wasn't for me," Oghren replied.

"We should not linger any longer, there must be more darkspawn," Mahairi interrupted.

"Yeah, the Warden with the rack is right. We've got darkspawn to kill," Oghren shouted excitedly.  
>Mahairi let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.<p>

"Let's go," Temene led them forward.

They fought more darkspawn and found a man down the hall who was badly wounded. "Rowland!" Mahairi knelt at his side. Anders joined her and tried to heal the man's wounds.

"Is this the Warden-Commder?" Rowland asked.

"What happened here?" Temene knelt down.

"The darkspawn came from below the Keep unexpectedly and overwhelmed us quickly. They were commanded by a darkspawn who spoke like a man," Rowland struggled to speak.

"I fear his wounds are too severe," Anders looked at Temene. "I can only make him comfortable."

"You must get to Seneschal Varel. He was on the roof with the darkspawn," Rowland coughed.

"Stay with him Mahairi, we will search the roof," Temene ordered.

Anders and Oghren followed her down the hall and found the ladder leading up to the battlements of the Keep. "What did he mean talking darkspawn?" Oghren wondered as they climbed the ladder.

"Perhaps he was mad for the taint," Temene commented, opening the trapdoor and peeking out carefully.

She slipped out and looked around the corner, seeing a darkspawn standing over a man she assumed was Varel. She watched as another darkspawn kicked the seneshal's guard off the battlements, taunting Varel. Temene blasted it with a shock of lightning but it had little effect. It spoke to her with a growling voice, proclaiming that she would be coming with him, willingly or not. "By the Maker,it is talking," Anders exclaimed.

"Kill the rest," the talking darkspawn ordered. "Leave me the Warden." He kicked Varel in the ribs and went straight for Temene.

She parried his blows but he seemed to have more aptitude of battle tactics than most darkspawn. She finally managed to drive Spellweaver through his armor and cast him off the battlements with a swift kick. She sheathed her sword and went to Varel. "Commander, it is an honor," Varel said as Anders helped him up. "Thank you for saving me."

"How did this happen? What did that darkspawn say to you?" Temene asked.

"He made little sense. He spoke of the Grey Wardens. And how everything we knew about the darkspawn would be changing," Varel answered.

"If they have begun talking, that is quite a change already," Temene added.

"We should get him inside," Anders held Varel upright.

"I will check for any remaining darkspawn. See to the survivors," Temene ordered.

Anders and Oghren helped Varel downstairs to the main keep as Temene continued searching for straggling darkspawn. She eventually returned to the main hall and helped tend to the wounded. "You do not use your healing magic much," Anders noted.

"I was never very skilled at it. You would have been an asset to the Circle if you had not kept running away," she replied.

"What will happen to me?" he asked. "If you've let the Tower you must know how horrible it is to return?"

"I have not decided yet," Temene answered. 


	67. Kitten in a Crawlspace

Temene ordered all the capable men to begin removing the darkspawn corpses and preparing the civilians for burial. She helped clear the guest rooms so there would be a place for the survivors to rest. She ordered dinner prepared and went to inspect the darkspawn's entry point as it was cooking. "They came up through here. They must have breached a wall that has now collapsed," one of the guards explained.

"So there is no danger for the moment?" Temene asked.

"The darkspawn will eventually tunnel through. I can clear a way if you can take care of the darkspawn behind the rubble," Voldrik explained.

"That is fine. Let me know when you are close to breaking through," Temene said.

She returned to the Keep and made sure everyone got something to eat before posting the evening guard. She tried to sleep but was kept awake by the situation and roamed the halls after everyone had gone to bed. She found Anders awake as well, crouched in the hall on his hands and knees, his ear pressed close to the ground. "What are you doing?" Temene asked.

"I heard a noise," Anders said, cocking his head towards the wall.

"More darkspawn?" Temene wondered.

"It sounded like a cat," Anders replied, crawling closer to the wall. "There, did you hear that?"

"Maybe," Temene stooped down, trying to keep her robe closed.

She heard another tiny meow a few moments later from the other side of the wall. "I don't think there is a room on the other side, where could it be?" Temene wondered.

"It must be a crawlspace of some sort. Here, it looks like this moves," Anders said, pulling a stone aside. "Here kitten," he called into the hole. "Meow, meow, meow," he mimicked.

"I don't think it is working," Temene tried to a hide a smile at his ridiculous noises.

"I would crawl in there but I don't think I would fit," he looked at her.

"Look just because I am an elf," Temene protested. The kitten meowed again and Anders tried to sadden his eyes for sympathy. "Oh fine," Temene said, fixing her robe.

She sparked a small flame in her hand and slid into the crawlspace. The stone was bitterly cold and penetrated her robes. 'Why am I doing this?' she asked herself as slowly made her way down the thin crawlspace. 'Anything for a handsome man,' she shook her head. Anders reminded her of Alistair in a way, though Anders was more crass with his humor. She realized how much she wished Alistair was here with her. "Little kitten," Temene called quietly, so Anders wouldn't hear her. "Kitty, kitty, kitty."

She eventually saw the fire in her hand catch on the kitten's eyes. She waited patiently for it to crawl over to her. "Do you have it yet?" Anders asked, scaring the kitten away.

"Wait a moment," Temene said angrily.

She waited again for the kitten to approach and eventually caught it by the scruff with her free hand. She crawled back out and cradled the kitten against her chest. It was an orange tabby with white paws and large green eyes. The kitten clawed at her clothes, pulling open her robe. "Perhaps you'd better take it for now," Temene blushed, covering up her exposed breast.

"Come here kitten," Anders reached out to take the kitten from her. "Thank you for helping me get him," he added with a smile.

"It was no trouble," she replied, looking down at her dusty robe. "I've been meaning to wash this anyhow."

"You are up late," Anders noted, nuzzling the kitten.

"And you as well. Not trying to escape again?" she wondered.

"I am not your prisoner am I?" he teased.

"I suppose you could leave if you wished, but I would be accused of aiding an apostate. I can only ask you to stay until I decide what to do," she answered.

"Pity, I was hoping you might chain me up until then," he grinned.

"Does your charm work on anyone?" she rolled her eyes.

"More often than not," he smiled. "How do think I have escaped so many times? Did you never have the urge to escape the tower?"

"The thought never crossed my mind when I lived there. Though now that I have been away, I would never willingly return to live there," she replied.

"That is my point. Mages never get the chance to know what they are missing. They are tucked away in their own prison or made Tranquil. I would rather die than live that way."

"We can at least agree on that," Temene added, thinking of Jowan.

"You know, I never called you any of those names at the Tower. I found you quite enchanting," he said.

"I am flattered," Temene smirked and stood up. She patted some of the dust off her robes and returned to her room. She climbed back into bed and thought about Anders. Something about him bothered her. She didn't know if it was his open attitude towards magic or the attraction she felt towards him. She tried to take her mind off him and worry about the task at hand. The idea of sentient darkspawn was even more troubling than the horde staying above ground.

When Temene got up in the morning and went to the main hall to eat, she found Anders at the table, feeding a bowl of milk to the orange kitten. "Ser Pounce-A-Lot wanted to thank you for rescuing him," Anders smiled, as the kitten lapped up the milk.

"That is what you have named him?" Temene smiled.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Anders asked.

Varel rushed in suddenly and announced that someone was coming up the road towards the Keep. "More darkspawn?" Temene asked, following him outside with Anders in tow.

"They are too far to tell, but we should prepare for another attack nonetheless," Varel replied.

"Get the men ready," she ordered, squinting her eyes to look at the figures.

Varel went off to call the remaining troops to arms and Temene waited with Anders until the figures came close enough to see. "Templars," Anders exclaimed, looking at Temene. "I hope you've decided what to do with me," he added with a look of concern.

"I won't let them harm you, I can assure you of that," she replied, looking closer at the figure walking at the front. He wore bright golden armor and Temene could only guess that is was Alistair. She hurried downstairs to meet him at the gates, Anders following her hesitantly. 


	68. The Joining

The guards opened the gates when it was clear that the visitors were human. Alistair walked ahead of a full complement of templars, his royal armor shining brightly in the morning sun. Cullen ran behind him and barked happily when he saw Temene. "King Alistair, what brings you to the Keep?" Temene bowed, petting Cullen on the head as he ran towards her.

"I was on my way to Highever and thought I should stop in and take a look at the Grey Wardens' new home," Alistair smiled, taking her hand in greeting.

"My lord, be careful. This mage is an apostate that was being returned to the Circle. Where are your templar guards?" one of the templars asked.

"No, Temene is a Grey Warden, she is not on the run," Alistair said before Anders interrupted him.

"She means me," Anders frowned.

"The templars that brought him here are dead. I saw the bodies for myself," Temene answered.

"Then he deserves a quick death for their murder," the templar said, drawing her sword.

"Hold on a moment. I saw the bodies of the Templars. Their injuries were not made by a mage," Temene tried to calm the woman. "They were killed by the darkspawn."

"There is still the fact that he is an apostate on the run," the other Templar replied.

"Without his help, none of us would have survived. I think he deserves some leniency," Temene insisted. "Perhaps he could join the Wardens."

"If that is what you wish, my lov, lady," Alistair caught himself. "I leave his fate to you."

"King Alistair," the angry Templar protested. Alistair put up a hand to silence her.

"Thank you," Temene nodded. "Will you be heading to Highever right away?"

"I think a tour of the Keep is in order. I do not think a stay of a few days will hurt," Alistair replied.

"I will show you around Your Highness, it would be my honor," Varel bowed his head.

Alistair gave Temene a look like he had hoped she would be giving him a private tour. Temene couldn't hold back a smile and turned to follow them inside. "So, what is to become of me?" Anders asked, hanging back near Temene. "Do you wish me to join the Grey Wardens?"

"I will not force you into this life, but I do not think you deserve an unjust death by the templars. You may very well die joining the Wardens, but the only alternative is returning to the Circle Tower."

"Become a Grey Warden? I'd never thought of it? And the Chantry couldn't do a thing about it? They couldn't make me go back?"

"It is not all fun and freedom, I assure you. We pay a heavy price for what we become."

"I would be honored then. Thank you," he stopped her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You are welcome," she stared into his dark green eyes. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as he looked at her.

"Then perhaps the king can perform the Joining ritual for you and the other recruits. I will consult with him," she finally turned her eyes away from his.

"Will you be keeping the dog outside? I don't want it to chase Ser Pounce-A-Lot," Anders asked, looking down at Cullen, who sat by Temene's feet.

"Yes, he can stay outside," Temene nodded.

They returned to the Keep where Oghren had already gotten into the casks and was half drunk. He was harassing Alistair, while the seneschal stood with a look of annoyance on his face. "You really want to be a Grey Warden?" Alistair asked in a serious tone as Oghren let out a huge belch.

"Mmmm why not?" Oghern laughed.

"Anders has agreed to join the Order," Temene said, coming up behind Alistair. "We will have three recruits for the Joining. Perhaps you might say a few words, as you did at mine," she asked him.

"Of course," Alistair smiled.

"I can prepare for the ceremony then," Varel nodded, bidding them farewell for the moment.

"Thank the Maker you got him to leave," Alistair smiled. "I need to speak with you in private."

"I will show you to the guest rooms," Temene nodded, leaving Anders with Oghren.

When they reached the empty hallway that led to the guest rooms, Alistair wrapped his arm around Temene's waist as they walked down the hall. "How are you my love?" he asked, nuzzling her neck gently.

"I am well considering," she said, slipping her hands around his "This was quite a surprise. Even more than the darkspawn."

"Yes, what Varel told me was troubling. The darkspawn really talked? I'd never heard of such a thing."

"Yes. There is definitely something amiss. I have to wonder if this has something to do with Morrigan's ritual or if it is totally unrelated," she wondered.

"Ugh, don't remind me of that witch. I wouldn't be surprised," he grumbled.

Temene led him inside one of the empty guest rooms and shut the door. "What takes you to Highever? I thought you were heading to the Bannorn?" she asked.

"I found out Duncan still has family there and I wanted to pay my respects. I also promised to meet with Elissa. I wanted to tell you that in person," he replied.

"I see," she let out a heavy sigh as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"You know I feel awful having to do this. I wish there was another way," Alistair apologized.

"You don't have to apologize. It is just my petty jealousy," Temene turned her eyes down for a moment. "You think the Landsmeet would approve of a marriage between the two of you?"

"The Cousland's have been nobles for centuries. Eamon thinks it will be a good match."

"And what do you think?"

He approached the bed slowly and turned her chin up to face him. "I think that I will always love you more than anything, no matter who I marry," he said.

"I know," she replied solemnly. He sighed knelt between her legs so he could bring his face closer to hers, giving her a soft kiss.

"It is only because I love you so much that it hurts me," she looked at him.

She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back. They continued kissing until he pushed her back onto the bed and crept over her. "We didn't lock the door and the seneschal is probably looking for you so you can finish the tour," she smirked.

"Then perhaps we should continue this at a later date? Say tonight?" he whispered, kissing her ear.

"My room is four doors down on the right," she replied, pulling at the hair on the back of his neck.

"Right," he pulled himself from the bed and shook off his excitement. He reached a hand out to help her off the bed.

They returned to the main hall where Varel was waiting for them. "I am prepared to begin the Joining when you are ready," Varel said to them as they entered.

"There is no sense in waiting, I suppose," Alistair replied.

"Yeah, let's get this over with so I can get back to drinking," Oghren laughed.

Alistair made a face at Temene and quietly whispered, "Are you sure you want him here, you know, in case he doesn't survive?"

"Maybe the darkspawn blood with smarten him up," she whispered back.

They entered the main hall where Varel had placed the chalice the recruits would drink from. Anders volunteered to be first and drank from the cup after Alistair said a few words. He doubled over in pain and collapsed to the ground with a load groan. Temene feared he was dead, remembering Daveth's quick death. She bent over him to check for a pulse. "He is alright Commander, he will live," Varel looked him over.

"Lightweight," Oghren laughed.

"You are next Oghren, step forward," Varel said.

Oghren took the chalice and swallowed the blood quickly. "Hmmm, not bad," he belched and collapsed a moment later.

"He will also be fine Commander," Varel said as he looked over Oghren.

"Lucky you," Alistair teased.

Mhairi took the chalice next and swallowed the blood. Temene watched as Mahairi doubled over like the rest, but her pain seemed greater. "I am sorry Mahairi," Varel closed his eyes, as she fell to the ground.

"She would have been a great addition to the Wardens," Temene said sadly, kneeling to close Mahairi's eyes.

"I will see to her burial," Varel added. "King Alistair, if you join me I can show you the rest of the Keep."

"Yes, of course," Alistair said with little enthusiasm.

"I will wait for these two to awaken," Temene nodded.

Varel left with Alistair and Temene sat down to wait for Anders and Oghren to awaken. Two men came to take away Mahairi's body. Anders woke up first with a heavy sigh, his eyes wide with fright. "You are alright," Temene knelt over him, trying to ease his panic.

"That was, horrible," Anders looked up at her.

"I cannot lie and say it gets easier from here, but you will feel better in a few hours," she replied.

"Thank you for being here when I woke up," he smiled at her. She stared down at him, again lost in his deep green eyes. She was glad he was alive, but worried that her attraction to him would be troublesome. "What about the others? Did they survive as well?" he asked her.

"Mahairi did not but Oghren will awaken in time as well," she replied.

"I'm already awake!" Oghren laughed. "I was just giving you two your moment."

"You two should eat, you will be getting very hungry soon," Temene blushed.

The new Wardens got up and went to the dining hall to eat, while Temene searched for Varel and Alistair. She found Varel showing Alistair the outer grounds and joined them on the rest of their tour. They returned inside the Keep in the afternoon and ate dinner together. They discussed the current problem with the darkspawn and what needed to be repaired at the Keep. Representatives from the Wardens and the lands of Amaranthine would be coming to the Keep in a few days to keep Temene busy.

Temene retired to her room and was joined by Alistair not long after. "I see you've already settled into the largest room," Alistair teased, sitting down on the bed.

"This is my Keep, why shouldn't I?" she laughed.

"I don't want to leave in the morning," he said in a mopey tone. "It will be months until we see each other again."

"Perhaps Oghren can sketch some dirty pictures to keep you company."

"Those drawings still haunt my memories. Was it Wynne with Leliana and a nug?" Alistair shook his head in disgust.

"Well, let's spend the time we have left naked in bed," she grinned, unlacing the back of her dress. 


	69. Drudgery

Alistair left the Keep in the morning, giving Temene a long kiss goodbye before leaving with his escort in tow. She saw him off, sad to see him go and conscious of Anders staring at her as Alistair left. When she returned to her room after a quick breakfast, Anders followed her inside. "Is there something you need?" she asked, starting to make up the bed.

"I was just wondering when we start Grey Wardening?" he asked. "What do the Wardens do when there isn't a Blight?"

"Until we can find out what is keeping the darkspawn above ground, we will be trying to establish this outpost. It may well prove to be an insufferable mix of negotiation and pandering to the nobility," Temene answered, hiding the small clothes Alistair had accidentally left behind.

"You do not sound pleased about it," he wondered, sitting on the edge of her desk.

"I joined the Wardens in the middle of the Blight and was thrown headlong into battle. I suppose I was unprepared for the trivial side of the Order," she replied.

"Hoping for some more excitement?" he raised an eyebrow with a smile. As he did, Temene heard a quiet meow from the pouch at his side.

"You don't have the cat in there do you?" Temene pointed to his pouch.

"Oh, Ser Pounce-A-Lot loves sleeping in there, don't you?" Anders said, pulling the sleepy-eyed kitten from the pouch. When he pulled the kitten out, a folded up paper fell out with it.

"He could suffocate in there," she said, bending down to pick up the paper. She could see a drawing on the inside and opened it up. "What is this?" she asked, seeing what looked like her and Alistair in the throes of passion atop the archdemon.

"I didn't ask him to draw that," Anders said guiltily. "I just asked what you relationship was with the king."

"And what did Oghren tell you exactly?" Temene threw the drawing at him.

"Just that you and the king were sleep, uh, very close during you time with the Grey Wardens," he put the kitten down on the desk and picked up the drawing. He crumbled it up and threw it on the desk, which the kitten immediately began to play with.

"What concern is it of yours?" Temene asked, pulling him away from the desk by the arm and towards the door.

"It was just gossip is all. You know mages can't get enough of a good scandal," he said as she shut the door.

She pulled the latch down and returned to the bed, forgetting that she had locked the kitten in with her. He let out another meow and Anders waited at the other side of the door. "Can I at least get my cat back?" he asked softly.

Temene ignored him and picked the tiny kitten up from the desk. She pulled a quill from the nib and sat down on the bed with the kitten. She teased him with the feathery end for a while until he curled up to sleep. She returned to her desk to finish looking over some papers that Varel had given her. He knocked on her door not long after she had begun to look them over.

"There is a matter that I had nearly forgotten about," Varel said as Temene welcomed him inside. "A few days before your arrival, we found a man skulking around the premises. I assumed he was nothing more than a thief, but it took more than four men to capture him."

"Did you discern what he came here for?" she asked.

"He didn't say a word. When the darkspawn attacked, I nearly forgot about him. I figure that you should be the one to decide his fate," Varel replied.

"Very well," Temene said with a slight sigh. "Take me to him."

She followed Varel out into the dining room and returned Ser Pounce-A-Lot to Anders, who looked happy to see the kitten. He said nothing as she set the kitten on the table in front of him. The cat loudly meowed with happiness at being returned to his owner. Temene exited the Keep with Varel and went down into the basement dungeon.

A dark haired man sat in the corner of one of the cells. He said nothing as they entered and made no movements. Varel left her alone to speak with the prisoner. "You must be the famed Grey Warden," the prisoner finally said with disdain. "Strutting in, wearing the cloak of a murderer and a traitor," he added.

"You speak as if you know me personally," Temene looked at him, stepping closer to the bars.

"Only by reputation, I assure you," he sneered back.

"You are not some ordinary thief. You were here with a purpose and foreknowledge," Temene accused.

"At least some of the Grey Wardens are clever," he insulted, finally rising to his feet.

"Who are you?" Temene asked angrily.

"You do not recognize the son of the man you murdered?" he asked. "I am Nathaniel Howe."

Temene looked into his face and recognized hints of Rendon Howe in his young son. "Your father's death was his own doing. He murdered, tortured, and sold people as if they were nothing but cattle," Temene said. "Your vengeful tone is unfounded."

"You've stolen everything, the only home I ever had. I thought you deserved to die."

"You came here to kill me then?" Temene asked. "The Wardens are here to assist Amaranthine, not to steal it. The people of this city suffered greatly under your father."

"I thought I would when I came here, but I really just wanted my life back. It isn't possible now, not after what my father has done. He was a good man, once. I don't know what happened to him when I was in the Free Marches," Nathaniel's tone finally softened.

"I am sorry for what has happened to your family," Temene tried to sound sympathetic.

"What will you do with me then?" he asked. "My fate is seemingly in your hands."

"I do not know. You have admitted to wanting me dead, it would be foolish to let you leave on your own accord."

"Yes, I suppose you are right," he replied. "Will you have me executed them or let me wallow in prison for the rest of my days?"

"Would you prefer death?' she asked.

"I have no home, no titles, no purpose really," he frowned. "There is little point."

Temene thought for a moment, turning away from him. He did not deserve death for simply being born into the wrong family. "I have a sudden need for capable men to defend the Keep against the darkspawn. Varel mentioned how difficult you were to catch," Temene finally began. "I could offer you a chance to live in that respect."

"Me, a Grey Warden? No, I don't know about that," he objected.

"There is a chance you might also find death in joining the Wardens. If you survive, you will have a chance to redeem your family's name. The gods shall decide which course."

"Then you do not leave me any choice," he said with a frown.

Temene called for Varel and told him to prepare for another Joining ceremony. Varel seemed surprised but did not question her judgement. Nathaniel was brought into the Keep and handed the chalice of darkspawn blood. He looked unsure but swallowed the blood quietly. He fainted like the others but Varel assured her he would survive. She would watch him closely, her need for men outweighing her apprehension at letting him live.

Nathaniel awoke in time and Varel showed him to one of the spare rooms. Temene returned to the few notes Varel had given her about the darkspawn in the neighboring areas. She could not discern much from them and went to speak with Varel again. "You have been here much longer than I," Temene began. "Is there any pattern or purpose to the darkspawn's movements?"

"Not that I have seen," Varel replied. "One of the Wardens, Kristoff, set off to Amaranthine to investigate. Perhaps he could shed some light on the situation."

"It will be good for us to add another Warden back to the Keep as well," Temene replied, glad to hear she would have another experienced Warden with her.

"Captain Garavel wanted to speak with you when you had a moment. And there is still the matter of Mistress Woolsey," Varel added.

"The woman screaming at Oghren for already drinking half the Keep's wine stocks?" Temene wondered.

"The First Warden understands the delicate position you've been placed in. The Grey Wardens have never had dominion over lands before. Mistress Woolsey is quite apt with finances and such," Varel answered. "I expect she will take some of the burden of paperwork from you."

"I will speak with both of them," Temene tried to hide a tired sigh.

She went to the dining hall, finding Anders playing with Ser Pounce-A-Lot, as Oghren downed another mug of wine. 'A pitiful bunch of louts,' she looked over them, noticing Nathaniel reading from a book from the library. 'At least he is doing something with his time,' she thought to herself as she went searching for Captain Garavel.

"Warden-Commander," he nodded at her when she found him.

"How are the defenses coming along?" she asked.

"We haven't managed to recruit enough guards to fill what we lost but the repairs are going better than expected. It is lucky there are so many dwarves around," he replied. "When I was in Amaranthine recruiting, I heard a story that might be of interest to you."

"Go on," Temene said.

"Two hunters found some sort of chasm or crevice west of the city, near the North Road. They said it was full of darkspawn but gave few other details," Garavel added.

"It could be an entrance to the Deep Roads. Were the darkspawn coming or going?"

"They did not say. Perhaps they would be more forthcoming with you. Colbert and Micah were their names. I am sure if you went to the city, you could find then easily."

"I will inquire with them when I visit the city," Temene replied. "In the meantime, I will be sending out the rest of the Wardens to help clear the rubble from the caverns below the Keep. I don't want anymore surprise attacks," she added.

She returned to the dinning room and asked in a stern voice for the three men to help out below the Keep. Oghren made the only vocal objection, though Anders looked saddened at having to leave his kitten. Temene then turned to track down Mistress Woolsey. "Believe me, Lady Surana, I am not here to impede your work. This is new territory for the Order and the First Warden wants things to go smoothly. Arl Howe made a real mess of these lands. If we can improve them, it will help both the common folk and the Wardens," Woolsey said.

"I will do all that I can," Temene replied.

"We need traders to return to the Keep. Since the darkspawn remain on the roads, the Pilgrim's Path is all but deserted. I've spoken with a man from the Merchant's Guild, it seems the darkspawn are most prevalent in the Wending Wood."

"I passed through on my way from Denerim. I did not see many," Temene replied.

"Perhaps they did not wish to attack the Hero of Ferelden," Woolsey said, trying not to sound patronizing. "In any event, several caravans in the area have been attacked. If we are to keep trade flowing, the path must be made safe."

"Alright," Temene nodded, feeling the sudden compulsion to return to her room alone.

She expected some trouble but nothing like what she was now faced with. She did not know where to start. She returned to her room for a while, sitting mindlessly in front of the fire for a while before going to dinner. The men had returned from clearing rubble and were famished. Anders' pale skin was flushed and he sat down with a sigh beside Temene. "I never said being a Warden would be easy," she said quietly, catching a hint of his musky sweat in her nose.

"I guess freedom has its price," Anders smiled at her.

She hated the way he looked at her, but couldn't help staring into his chestnut-colored eyes. He had a certain quality of confidence that Alistair lacked. Alistair was always berating himself, while Anders seemed overly self assured. She ate quickly and retreated to her room, locking the wine casks up before leaving. She'd sober Oghren up and make sure he was doing his share if it killed her.  
> <p>


	70. Still Just An Elf

Temene felt a terrible restlessness the next day after breakfast and set off by herself on the only steed in the Keep's stable. She rode towards Amaranthine but veered away towards the coast before reaching the city. She'd never seen the sea and sat mesmerized for many hours, her horse tied to a nearby tree. She couldn't quite pinpoint what she was feeling but had a sense of emptiness in her life . She did not know how to resign it.

She thought about what Alistair was likely doing at the moment and was again wracked with jealousy. She didn't want him marrying another woman and having a child with her. Despite his professions of love, she still had insecure doubts about him eventually leaving her. She carried around the burden of being a mage. At times she felt he would never understand that side of her, especially with his templar training. This is why she felt so uncomfortable around Anders, he understood the life of a mage and his good looks stirred something in Temene. She tried to take her mind of things but her stomach churned from worry and a lack of lunch.

She was loathe to return to the Keep and lingered on the road back, eventually stopping at a small inn for dinner. She sat huddled in the empty dining room, shabbily furnished and little more than an extension of the small house that made up the inn. The publican said little as she served Temene and she overheard her whisper to her husband that an elf had come to eat. The husband asked the woman if she'd seen the money up front in case Temene tried to skip on the bill. Temene listened to them argue back and forth before the woman returned with her meal and asked in a round about way for payment. Temene slid a silver across the table and solemnly gulped down her meal. Outside of the Wardens and Circle, she still looked like another poor elf in a fine cloak.

She left the inn in a foul mood and eventually returned to the Keep well after dark. One of the night guards returned the horse to the stable and Temene slipped quietly inside. It had begun to rain as she'd made her way back and she went towards the dim fire in the dinning hall to dry her cloak. She grabbed an armful of wood and stooped to place it in the dying fire. She unfastened her cloak and laid it in front of the fire before turning to sit in the chair that sat in front of the fire. She was startled by the gleam in Anders eyes as he sat silently in the chair, smiling at her. Ser Pounce-A-Lot was curled in his lap asleep.

"You nearly frightened me," she jumped slightly, smoothing down the hair that had been disturbed by her hood.

"I thought perhaps you had tried to make an escape attempt," he grinned, petting the kitten that stirred at their voices.

"And leave you and Oghren to run the Wardens? The darkspawn would need only lay down a cask of wine and leg of meat to distract you enough the conquer Ferelden," she replied.

"I am hurt," he said in sarcastic protest. "They would at least need to leave a pretty girl behind as well." He paused for a moment and then continued. "You are much different than I remember you. You are funnier and with more spirit."

"What are you still doing awake?" Temene wondered, ignoring his last comment. "Everyone else is in bed."

"I was genuinely worried about you," he replied. "There are nasty things on the road."

"I was doing some scouting and didn't need to be bothered. Besides, if I can kill a damned dragon, I can handle some highwaymen," she replied, her foul mood noted in her tone of voice.

"I meant no harm," he apologized as she stood with hands on hips.

The brightening fire glanced off her amber colored wedding ring and Anders stared at it curiously. "That ring you always wear on your finger, does it have some significance?" he finally dared to ask. "It is quite a remarkable color."

"It is my wedding ring," she mumbled, turning back to the fire.

"Wedding ring!" he exclaimed loud enough the wake the kitten again. "I've never heard of a mage getting married before. I didn't think the templars would allow it. "

"I was not married at the Circle Tower,"' Temene replied.

"Your husband isn't a fellow mage then?" he asked. "Where did you meet him?"

"During my travels," she answered vaguely.

He knew he'd get little out of her but continued to pry. He wondered about her affair with the king as well. "I couldn't imagine it," he began again. "We mages aren't known for our fidelity."

"It does not matter what you think," she replied angrily. "Why are you so interested in my personal life, it does not concern you!" she snapped, still bitter about her treatment at the inn.

"I just wanted to get to know you better," he answered, surprised at her angry tone. "I haven't had the chance to meet many other mages outside the Circle Tower."

Temene's raised voice had scared Ser Pounce-A-Lot, who quickly jumped off Anders' lap. "I, I am sorry," Anders lowered his eyes and ran after the kitten.

Temene felt badly for snapping at him and gathered up her still damp cloak and returned to her room. She wanted to remain angry at him because of her attraction to him, but he'd done nothing wrong. She knew she would have to apologize for her tone in the morning. The rain had chilled her and she desperately wanted to take a bath. She made her way to the kitchen and heated her own water, slinging the buckets back and forth to her room.

She sat in the bath for a while, trying to put all her worried thoughts in the back of her head. She could do nothing to stop Alistair searching for a queen and could only hope to ignore her attraction to Anders. She finally got to bed late in the night and slept well into the morning. She'd planned to go to Amaranthine, but decided to put it off until the next day so she could get an early start at things.

She found Anders in the dining room once again, this time arguing with Oghren. "There is no way you can outdrink me. I've been chugging ale since you were in diapers kid," Oghren protested.

"What is this about?" Temene wondered, sitting down. The food from breakfast was well cold and picked over but she tried to eat what she could.

"He thinks he could best me in a drinking contest," Oghren laughed. "Remember when Teagan thought I couldn't drink a whole barrel of pickle juice? I showed him, didn't I!"

"As I recall, you went blind for two days and spent the rest of the time on a chamber pot," Temene shook her head.

"I still won!" Oghren laughed again.

"Would you like us to clear rubble again today?" Anders said tentatively, not knowing if Temene was still angry at him.

"Yes," Temene replied. "We will be going to Amaranthine in the morning to look for the other Grey Warden, Kristoff."

"Amaranthine?" Anders asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. "Will we all be going?"

"I suppose so. Kristoff was tracking the darkspawn's movements around the area. We need to find out where they are going and for what purpose," Temene replied. "There may also be an entrance to the Deep Roads nearby that is providing them refugee."

"Ha, just like old times then," Oghren slapped Anders on the back.

"Where is Nathaniel?" Temene wondered, noticing that he wasn't at breakfast.

"He was in the library the last I saw him," Anders replied.

Temene finished breakfast and went to find Nathaniel. She did not want to apologize to Anders in front of Oghren. She found Nathaniel looking through more books in the library. "My father used to keep journals, I wonder if he left some here. Perhaps they would tell me why he turned to the life he did," Nathaniel said when she entered.  
>"You may never know," Temene said, looking at his tired face. It looked like he hadn't slept much. "It is no use losing sleep over."<p>

"I can't let it go. There must be something to do for my family. My sister had to marry some merchant in Amaranthine. I can't imagine what she has been through," he replied.

"I am seeking out another Warden in the city, perhaps you could speak with her," Temene suggested.

"You would let me do that?" he asked.

"Of course," she nodded. She watched as he continued searching through the numerous volumes on the shelves. "The other men will be clearing rubble after breakfast if you haven't eaten," she finally added, leaving the room.

She next went to the basement to check on the progress of clearing the rubble. There was still a lot to be done, but she could see that quite a bit had been cleared. "Is it safe down here and stable?" Temene asked.

"We are putting in joists to the support the area. Most of it still structurally sound, however," Voldrik replied.

"It looks like some of the darkspawn were caught in the rubble, my lady," Sergeant Maverlies called. She pulled the mangled arm of a hurlock from the rubble with a disgusted face.

"If they came from beneath here, there may be more on the other side of the rubble. Make sure there are enough guards down here once you break through," Temene replied, looking at the arm.

Temene returned to the keep and looked over a few more papers that Varel had left her. The nobility from the arling was eager to swear their fealty to the Wardens and Varel was trying to arrange a feast to present them. Temene pushed the paper aside and rubbed her eyes. Appeasing the nobility was the least of her problems. She prepared a small bag in anticipation og their departure to Amaranthine in the morning. She managed to catch Anders in the hall before dinner and apologized for her anger the night before.

"I took no offense," he smiled.

"We will be leaving for Amaranthine first thing after breakfast. Have you found someone to take care of the kitten?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just going to bring him with us if that is alright," he replied.

"Carry him around in your pouch, the whole time?" she wondered.  
>"Um, I'll figure something out," he answered, looking around nervously.<p>

They both went to the dining hall to eat. The Wardens ate together and went to bed early. Temene hoped Kristoff could shed some light on the current situation with the darkspawn. Once she knew what the darkspawn were up to, she could concentrate on getting the Keep in order and no sooner. 


	71. New Temptations

The Wardens left for Amaranthine as soon as they had finished breakfast. The three men exchanged jokes along the way, though Nathaniel still seemed quite reserved with the other Wardens. Temene walked ahead of them but could still overhear their often lewd comments. They arrived in the city in the afternoon and Temene inquired about Kristoff immediately at the inn he was staying in.

As soon as they entered the Crown and Lion, Anders excused himself. Oghren sat down at the bar and Nathaniel looked eager to find his sister. Temene excused him with a sigh and found herself alone. "Do you need a room my lady?" the innkeeper asked as she approached.

"Several," she sighed, pulling her hood back. "I am also looking for the Grey Warden Kristoff. I was told he was staying here."

"You must be the new Warden-Commander. It is a honor," the innkeeper bowed his head slightly, glancing at the griffin on her cuirass. "I have not seen Kristoff for nearly a week, but his room is paid until the end of the month."

"Did he happen to mention where he was going?" Temene asked.

"No, he kept to himself mostly, only came out for meals. Sorcha served him quite a few times, perhaps he might have mentioned something to her," the innkeeper added. He turned and waved over Sorcha. "This is the Warden-Commander. She is asking about Kristoff."

"What about?" Sorcha replied.

"Did he mention anything about his investigation? Where he might be heading?" Temene asked.

"He didn't say much. Mentioned a wife and that he'd be gone for a while but to keep up his room. There was a map in his room with some notes on it. I noticed it as I was cleaning," Sorcha said.

"May I see Kristoff's room?" Temene asked the innkeeper.

"Um, I suppose," he hesitated. "You are his superior. How many rooms did you need for yourself?'

"I will need four beds, one of them separate from the others preferably," Temene replied.

"I am afraid I only have a three room suite with five beds and three single bed rooms."

"I will take the suite then," Temene said.

"And that dwarf is drinking on your tab, correct?" Sorcha asked.

"Don't serve him much. If he puts up a fuss, let me know," Temene sighed, seeing Oghren draining another mug of ale. "And serve him the heavy stuff so he gets full quicker."

The innkeeper showed Temene to their suite and then unlocked Kristoff's room. It was tidy, though the desk was covered in notes. The map Sorcha mentioned hung on the wall. Several locations were circled on the map. Temene took down the map and gathered the notes, bringing them back to her room. She read through some of the notes before Oghren came stumbling inside. "Sodding fetchers," he swore, throwing his pack on the ground. "What sort of inn runs out of ale and wine," he complained.

"You are not going to spend your time as a Grey Warden doing nothing but drinking," Temene replied. "If you cannot practice some self control, I will not allow you to drink at all."

Oghren mumbled something incomprehensible and climbed face first onto the nearest bed. It wasn't long before he was snoring loudly. Temene tried to read through the notes, but Oghren's loud snores were distracting. She finally gathered some of the notes and headed out into the common room of the inn. The jumbled noises of the inn were far less of a burden than Oghren's snorts and occasional flatulence.

Temene ordered some wine and continued looking over the notes. She made a face after tasting the wine, having been spoiled by the finer wines at the palace. She pushed the mug aside and returned to the notes. Kristoff had been following up on several reports of darkspawn, though his notes frequently mentioned an area east of the city called the Blackmarsh. Temene unfolded the map and saw that it was the last circled location that hadn't been crossed out. Anders slipped in unnoticed a while later and sat down next to Temene.

"You look busy," he noted, taking up the mug of wine she'd pushed away.

"I think Kristoff was searching the Blackmarsh for the darkspawn," she looked away from the notes and pointed to the map.

"So he's not here?" Anders asked.

"He hasn't been seen for a week. If there was trouble, I assume he would have returned to the Keep."

"So we will be returning to the Keep soon?" he wondered.

"I still need to speak with the hunters that may have found the Deep Roads entrance. We will be staying in the city for at least the night."

"Perhaps then you could help me with something?" he asked.

"You found what you were looking for here?" she wondered.

"Sort of," he replied vaguely. He had been looking around the common room while they spoke and perked his head up slightly.

An elven woman walked towards them with a sneer on her face and laid a small map on the table with slight indignation. "This is the place," she said, looking over at Temene. "I wouldn't get involved with him if I were you. His charm only gets him so far," she added, turning away quickly.

"Thank you Namaya!" Anders called after the woman, blushing nervously.

"Friend of yours?" Temene raised an eyebrow.

"You aren't jealous are you?" Anders teased, slipping the map off the table. "She is just someone I met while I was in hiding."

"I see," Temene rolled her eyes. "I assume she has something to do with what you wanted my help with?"

"You could benefit from this as well, I assure you," he smiled, looking down at the map. "My phylactery is being kept in a cache stored in a warehouse in the city. I was on my way to Amaranthine when I was captured. Namaya is an information dealer, she helped me track it here to the city."

"Your phylactery? Here in Amaranthine?"

"Apparently the Templars moved a large cache from Denerim. There is the possibility that yours is there as well. Imagine if the Circle suddenly decided that mages could no longer be Grey Wardens. You could still have your freedom."

Temene said nothing and was reminded of misleading Jowan into the Circle Tower's phylactery chamber. She'd once thought about destroying hers if it had been there. She didn't think Anders knew what he was getting into. "You don't really believe they would do that?" she wondered.

"They tear young children from their parents' arms without remorse," he replied. "They will do anything they can to control us."

"You really hated it there," she looked at him. His eyes stared back at her, trying to illicit her understanding.

"Didn't you?" he stared at her. "I can still see my mother's face when they took me. It haunts me to this day. I was beaten by the templars when I talked back. I, I could barely breath there," he shuddered.

"I suppose my experience at the tower was slightly different," she replied. "I don't remember my parents. My magic must have manifested very early. All I knew was the Tower. I never felt the compulsion to rebel."

"You are fortunate in that respect I suppose," he continued staring back at her.

"There are many things wrong with the Circle that I hope to change," she said as he reached out for her hand. "I don't think this is the way," she trailed off as he squeezed her hand. "But I'll help you," she finally said, her willpower melting.

"Thank you," he smiled.

She finally looked away from him, her stomach burning with a mixture of passion and guilt. Even though they had different lives in the Circle Tower, they shared a certain understanding. She quickly gathered up her notes and mumbled something about having to check on something. She returned to their suite and stuffed the notes into her pack. She pulled on her cloak and left the inn out of the back entrance.

The sun was just beginning to set as she tried to put some distance between her and Anders. She felt a different sort of attraction than she'd had with Alistair. Her husband's charms and humor had grown on her and she loved him the more for it. She'd been instantly attracted to Anders and his overconfidence made her like him less. She'd only been away from Alistair for a few days and felt neurotic having such feelings. She heard someone calling her named and quickened her pace, fearing Anders had followed her. Instead, Nathaniel ran up behind her.

"Sorry, could you not hear me?" he asked her.

"No, I was just too heavily into my thoughts. Did you find your sister?" Temene replied.

"Yes. It turns out she is quite happy with her husband. She also wants to try to forget what my father did and restore the family's name. I invited her to stay at the Keep for a few days if you don't mind."

"No, that is fine," Temene assured him. "We have rooms at the Crown and Lion. I need to speak with someone before dinner," she added.

"Thank you," he nodded at her. "Not just for letting me find my sister. I want to prove the worth of the Howe name among the Wardens. Thank you for giving me the opportunity."

She nodded with a smile and watched as he left. She wanted nothing more than to be alone at the moment. She wandered around the streets and ran into the captain of the city guard. She spoke with him for a while about the darkspawn's activity around the city gates and the Wardens' presence. He informed her that there was a mixture of resentment and gratitude at the Warden's rule. She assured him she would do what she could to protect the area and also inquired about the hunters Garavel had spoken about.

She found the two men in question and heard the rest of their story. She figured the area was worth investigating, but wanted to find Kristoff first. She paid the men each a copper for their trouble and headed back to the inn as the sun slipped below the city walls. Nathaniel and Anders sat a dinner, while Oghren had once again bellied up to the bar. The waitresses would only serve him water but he made no vocal protest as Temene entered.

Temene ate in near silence, relaying their plans for returning to the Keep for supplies and then heading to investigate the Blackmarsh. Nathaniel spoke about the stories his father had told him about the marsh and the rumors surrounding it. The more Temene heard, the more apprehensive she was to go. She wondered what Kristoff could be searching for in the long abandoned village. Nathaniel told more stories, keeping Temene and Anders occupied until it was nearly bedtime.

As they returned to their rooms, Anders gently grabbed Temene's arm. "We can slip out of the inn when everyone else is asleep. The warehouse is not far from here," he said.

Temene only nodded and returned to their suite. She sat on her bed as the others prepared to sleep, pretending to be looking over Kristoff's notes again. She was beginning to have second thoughts about helping Anders, but figured it couldn't hurt if she was there to help him in case he got into trouble. Oghren passed out quickly but Nathaniel seemed to lie restlessly for a while before going to bed. Anders got up quietly and nodded at Temene that he was asleep.

She put on a different cloak and pulled the hood far over her face. She wasn't expecting trouble but took her sword with her anyway. The two mages slipped out the back door of the inn and walked towards the warehouse marked on the map. The door had been half heartedly barred, so it was easy to get inside. "I can't see a thing," Anders whispered, all the windows having been boarded up. He sparked a small fire in his hand to light their way.

"Where is the cache supposed to be?" Temene wondered, looking through the mostly empty warehouse.

"I don't know," he looked around. "Here, there is another door," he finally added.

He pressed on the door but it took an effort to open. He stumbled inside, looking up to find a group of templars sitting around a table. "I told you he would come," the same templar, Rylock, who had been with Alistair sneered. "And he brought the Warden-Commander mage with him too."

"What are you doing here?" Temene asked, stepping into the room.

"We left the king's company as he passed by the city and thought we'd set a little trap for our friend Anders here. You see, those templars he killed, they were good friends of mine," she replied.

"I didn't kill them," Anders pleaded.

"I told you I saw their wounds. Anders had no hand in their deaths," Temene reminded her.

"I don't care. He deserves to die, like the whole lot of you mages," Rylock's eyes burned.

"Anders is a Grey Warden, you cannot apprehend him, especially for something he didn't do," Temene replied angrily.

"The Chantry's authority is higher than the crown or the Grey Wardens. He is coming with us. Some little elf isn't going to stop us."

Rylock reached out to grab Anders by the wrist, trying to dispel his magic. "This isn't right, you cannot do this," Temene called out, stepping in her way.

Rylock bashed Temene in the forehead with her gauntlet, causing her to stumble backwards. As a small steam a blood flowed down her face, Temene felt overcome with rage. She let out a power blast of freezing air from her hands and quickly pulled her sword. She again felt the memories of the arcane warrior spirit stir inside her. She'd grown tired of her recent mistreatment for being an elf. She drove her sword through the plate mail of one of other templars near her and quickly summoned a large cone of fire that scorched the others' armor.

Anders did what he could, crippled by Rylock's dispel. It was not long before the small group of templars lie dead at their feet. Temene stood dazed, Spellweaver dripping blood at her side. The wound on her forehead had poured down her face and onto the clothes under her cloak. "Are you alright?" Anders asked, helping her towards one of the chairs at the table.

"I," she stuttered, her eyes beginning to glaze over. "I, killed them. I've never killed a templar."

"They were going to hurt us," Anders said, ripping a piece of his cloak to staunch her wound. He healed it quickly, trying to wipe the blood from her face. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. This was all just a set up. I'm sorry," he frowned.

"We need to get out of here," she looked down gravely at the dead templars.

"Come on then," he helped her up.

They left the warehouse quickly and slipped back into the inn. Anders sat Temene down on her bed and went to fetch a basin of water. "You'll be alright," he stared at her as he cleaned the rest of the blood from her face and neck. "You've saved my life twice. I can never repay you," he went on. His hand stopped at her breast, where the last of the blood had pooled. He looked into her eyes and felt the compulsion to kiss her as his other hand lingered on the side of her face.

"Please don't," she finally pleaded, as he moved his face slightly closer.

She stood up and pulled off her cloak and disappeared behind the dressing screen. She unlaced her dress and let it fall around her waist so she could wash the rest of the blood from her chest. The chemise she wore underneath was stained, so she slipped it over her head and crumpled it up. "Temene," Anders rose, looking at her bare back turned towards him.

"Go to bed Anders," she said. "I don't want to speak about it anymore."

She heard him shuffle to bed and the quiet meow of Ser Pounce-A-Lot, who he'd secretly brought with him. She turned off the lamp and tried to find her shift dress in the dark, covering her bare body with her arms. After fumbling in her bag for a while she found it and slipped it over her head. She climbed into bed but did not sleep. She could not help but think of the templars who lie dead by her hands. She knew they would have harmed Anders and herself, but she felt guilty nonetheless. She slept for only a few hours and got up to pack her bag up. She wanted to leave the city as soon as everyone else was awake.


	72. Jealousy

"What happened to your forehead?" was the first question Nathaniel asked when they all awoke in the morning.

"I went to fetch some water and hit it on something in the dark," Temene lied, avoid Anders' gaze. She'd been up for a while and her eyes bore the signs of her lack of sleep. "I want to return to the Keep as soon as everyone eats breakfast," she added.

Everyone packed up their things and cleared out of the room. Anders lingered but said nothing to Temene as she slung her pack onto her shoulder. They ate in near silence and returned to the Keep by the afternoon. "Are you alright?" Varel asked when they returned. "You weren't attacked were you?"

"It is nothing, just an accident," she replied.

"You were unable to locate Kristoff?" he wondered, seeing they returned alone.

"He may have gone to a place called Blackmarsh," Temene answered. "We will leave in a few days to look for him."

"Then perhaps I can arrange for the nobles to swear their oaths of fealty before you go? Many of them are eager to meet with you," he asked.

"I care not, but if it must be done," she tried not to let out an annoyed sigh.

"We shall have the dinner tomorrow then," he nodded. "I will make all the arrangements."

Temene returned to her room and tossed her pack on the bed. She felt ill from a lack of sleep but refused to lie down. She read through the last of Kristoff's notes and studied the makeshift map Colbert had drawn of the crevice he'd found. Mistress Woolsey knocked on her door later in the afternoon, announcing that another caravan had been attacked. "I still need to find the other Grey Warden and then we will investigate the area," Temene insisted.

"Very well," she nodded, with slight annoyance in her tone. "The seneschal wanted me to bring this to you as well," she added, handing her a folded dress of fine red silk. "For the party tomorrow."

Temene was not looking forward to meeting the arling's nobles, but knew she would have to suffer through it. She decided to pen a letter to Alistair, in hopes of alleviating her loneliness. She informed him about what was happening and inquired about his activities and the well being of Cullen. She signed the letter with love, but crossed it out in case it fell into the wrong hands. She sealed it carefully and placed it with a messenger who would take it to Highever.

She ate dinner alone in her room and went to bed early, exhausted from a lack of sleep. She was disturbed by dreams of the dead templars, but when she woke the memories seemed farther away. She milled about the Keep, watching as the servants prepared for the feast later in the evening. She avoided Anders as much as she could and did not put on her fine red dress until the last possible moment. She untied her hair and donned her Grey Warden circlet.

The nobles were all dressed as finely and spoke politely with her. Their sycophantic tones annoyed her, but she tried to not let it bother her. She knew there was a secret loathing that an elf have taken over the arling. Anders approached her, his face slightly troubled. He was dressed finely as well and looked more handsome than ever. "Whose idea was this party?" Anders asked her.

"The Seneschal," Temene replied. "I thought you'd be pleased by the amount of gossip floating around."

"There is plenty of gossip and some of it rather disturbing. I think some of the nobles might be plotting against you," he whispered to her.

"I just got here. What could they be plotting?"

"Well, from what I could eavesdrop, not everyone is pleased with the change in authority. I think some of the nobles were benefitting from Arl Howe's actions."

"That wouldn't surprise me. Is it anyone specific?"

"I tried not to look too interested in their conversations. You should be careful in your dealings with them."

"I don't have much of a choice. I will be cautious though," she replied, seeing the concern on his face.

"I will keep my ears open for anything else," he said. "And you look very beautiful by the way," he added.

"Try to keep Oghren away from the guests," she tried to change the subject, hearing Oghren's loud voice.

"Alright," he frowned at her dismissive tone.

The last thing that concerned Temene were the nobles, even if they were trying to hatch a plot against her. She spoke with Varel in private about keeping the guard aware of any rumors. She retired finally after speaking with all of the nobles and giving them empty promises she didn't care to fulfill. Her only care was eradicating the darkspawn from the area and getting back to Alistair. She was weary from not sleeping well and as soon as she climbed into bed she fell into a long sleep.

Everyone was too full of wine and food from the party to prepare to leave for the Blackmarsh, so Temene delayed leaving for a few more days until she could ready the necessary supplies. She check on the tunneling in the basement and was informed that they would be breaking through in about a weeks' time. She made all the necessary arrangements for their trip and returned to scouring Kristoff's notes for more information about the Blackmarsh.

On the day they left, the skies opened and poured rain down onto the Keep, causing them a late start. One of the guards ran after them as they left the grounds. "Commander, some papers for you," the guard waved a bundle at her.

"Slip them into my bag," she ordered, not wanting to be delayed any further.

The guard shoved the bundle into the small pack on her back and they went on their way. Their progress was slowed by the rain and muddy roads. 'Is nice weather so much to ask for?' Temene thought to herself, remember how many times the weather had hampered her other travels. They trudged on and the weather dried out eventually as they turned onto the road towards the Blackmarsh. They camped for the night as the wind picked up, blowing another storm their way.

Temene had been chilled by the weather and went to bed early. She bundled herself tightly in her blankets and tried to warm herself. The wind whipped her tent flap slightly, causing the light of the fire to flicker into her tent. She slept restlessly and woke to the sounds of laughter. From what she could overhear, Oghren had challenged Anders to the previously discussed drinking contest. She didn't bother to get up to yell at them and soon fell back asleep after listening to Anders and Oghren proceed to drink themselves stupid. She lost count after thirteen pints and prayed neither of them stumbled into the fire on accident.

She was awakened again by Anders stumbling into her tent, falling at her side with a grunt. "Anders, are you alright?" she reached out towards him.

"Temene, my beautiful mage," he slurred, pawing towards her. He kissed her abruptly, his hands groping her backside in an instant. She knew she should pull away but his kiss shot down along her spine like an current. She kissed him back, letting her tongue slip into his mouth. As they continued to kiss, her hand slipped up his robe and began to caress his thigh. He felt quite thinner built than Alistair, but no less toned. His tongue slowly stopped encircling her own and she realized he had passed out. "Anders?" she called out quietly.

She left out a heavy sigh, as he lie heavily next to her. She wondered why she had let herself go. She never thought she'd take Alistair's offer of being with someone else into consideration, but Anders stirred something inside her. He reminded her of Alistair in many ways but could relate to her as a mage. "What am I thinking?" she whispered to herself as she tried to roll over, her body stiff with unrequited excitement. His knee was pressed on top of her leg, but she tried to adjust her body, taking her hand out of his robes. She managed to turn away from him after covering him with a spare blanket.

Anders awoke in the morning with a groan, clutching his head. He groped at Temene, confused at the extra weight in his bed. He opened his eyes and found her curled up next to him, her breasts visible in the shift she had worn to bed. He stared at her for a moment before she began to stir. "Temene, I am so sorry, I thought I stumbled into my tent," he said, pressing his fingers against his aching eyes.

"I hope you are in a great deal of pain," she sat up.

"I am," he rubbed his eyes. He could feel a lingering erection under his robes and blushed. "I didn't, we didn't," he fumbled with the blanket, trying to cover himself.

"No," she lied, trying to let him believe he hadn't kissed her. "Did you at least win the contest?" she tried to change the subject.

"I think we called it a draw when I started to go blind," he tried to laugh, though it pained his head. "I'll, uh, let you get dressed," he added finally, glancing down at the sheer fabric that covered her breasts.

"Thank you," Temene blushed, covering her chest. "And will you check to make sure Oghren is still alive."

"Yes," Anders grinned as he stared at Temene. The early morning light cast an alluring glow on her pale skin, covered in only the thin gown. He climbed out of her tent awkwardly and splashed some cold water down his back and face to chill his excitement. Oghren had passed out near the fire which had begun to smolder along with the bottom of his boot that had fallen too near to the fire.

"Wake up dwarf before you burn to a crisp!" Anders laughed, kicking Oghren's foot out of harm's way.

"By a bronto's testicles, screw you Anders!" Oghren yelled. He grumbled some more and fell back asleep.

By the time Temene emerged, dressed and hair pulled up, Anders had started the fire again and had put on porridge. Nathaniel emerged from his tent, eyeing Anders suspiciously. "You idiots kept me up all night," he frowned at them. She climbed out of the tent, aware of Oghren's snickering. Anders sat in front of the fire with his head bowed. "You'll have no wine for a week and I'll be keeping the cask in my tent from now on," Temene chastised them.

"That won't stop Anders," Oghren began before Temene stopped him with an angry stare.

"Let's get packed up and on the road while the weather holds," Nathaniel sighed.

They finished breakfast silently and returned to the barely visible road. It had been disused since the village had been abandoned. They managed to reach the edge of marsh but it was nearly dark when they arrived. "I don't like this place," Temene shuttered as they made camp again.

The village was still not visible but something hung in the air that disturbed her. She sensed darkspawn far off and ordered a watch be set. She couldn't sleep and kept the first watch, sitting by the fire by herself. She heard Anders muttering in his sleep and he eventually emerged with a blanket wrapped around him. "Is everything alright?" she asked as he sat down by the fire.

"Just a strange dream," he replied. "There was only darkness but I could hear a deep voice calling me in a strange language. But I could understand the language."

"Another old god calling for the darkspawn to free him," Temene replied. "I guess it never ends. When one falls another tries to free itself. They are much worse during a Blight."

"I can only imagine," he replied. "Look, I am really sorry for what happened last night. I hope you aren't sparing my feelings if I tried something, unseemly," he went on.

"It's fine," she shook her head.

"I wouldn't want the king coming after me," he tried to smile.

"You asked Oghren again?" she gave him an annoyed glance.

"I thought maybe you'd made up a husband to thwart my advances. It wouldn't be the first time."

"You really think you're so charming that I'd have to do that?" she challenged him.

"I don't know, we've had our moments," he looked at her.

"Will you take the next watch?" she ignored him and stirred the fire with a stick. "I'd like to get some sleep."

"Yes, just let me grab Ser Pounce," he replied, getting up from the fire.

She didn't bother to chastise him about bringing the cat along and returned to her tent. She knew she would not sleep and lie awake thinking about Alistair and Anders. She couldn't deny her overwhelming attraction to Anders but still loved her husband with all her heart. She was ashamed that she'd given into a sudden moment of lust. She suddenly remembered the letters the guard had given her and she fumbled in her bag for them. She hoped something from Alistair had come, if only to remind her of her husband.

She tended a very small flame in her hand and looked through the papers. In between a few notes from Varel and High Warden was a letter sealed by the Theirin heraldry. She quickly opened the letter and scanned it. He was less careful about hiding his affection and began the letter with "My dearest love." He explained the problems in the Bannorn and had told the nobles that the lingering darkspawn attacks were being handled with capable hands. He spoke about visiting Duncan's sister in Highever and how much she looked like him. He also mentioned Elissa, which sent an angry pang of jealousy to her stomach. He wanted the two of them to meet, believing they would get along well.

She couldn't bear to read the rest and tossed the letter aside, closing her hand quickly and snuffing the flame that lit her reading. She pressed her fingers against her eyes to the point of pain and tried not to cry. She was irrationally angry at him and half considered inviting Anders into her tent. She curled up in a ball as the pains in her stomach worsened. She'd never learned to deal with jealousy and felt incredibly possessive of Alistair. 'How could I agree to this?' she thought as she wiped away a tear. She didn't want to share him, simply because she'd been born an elf.


	73. Sorrows of the Blackmarsh

**Sorry, I've taken so long to update. With the holidays and getting my cat back to health, I haven't been much in the mood for writing. I am also planning to submit a story for the BioWare writing contest. I'd love to have some people beta read what I have. If you are interested in beta reading for me, please PM me. The story will involve Temene.**

Temene awoke after a troubled night and found the sky still darkly lit. She shoved Alistair's letter back into her pack and peeked her head out of the tent flap. The sky should have been bright, but a fog embraced the camp and kept a chill in the air. Oghren had taken the last watch but had fallen asleep next to the dying fire. A light rain patted on the top of the tents. "Useless idiot," Temene mumbled, climbing out of her tent in her robe. She covered the wood pile so it stayed dry and kicked Oghren awake.

She returned to her tent in an irritable mood and took her time getting dressed. The cold air that crept into her tent was unnerving. She hated having to travel with a bunch of louts. She finally emerged and pulled her hood over her head to keep her dry. "There were some wolves hanging around on my watch but I scared them away with my bow," Nathaniel said as they sat at breakfast.

"We will leave camp here and explore the marsh for the day. I don't want to linger any longer than necessary. If Kristoff did not see our fire last night, I fear for his safety," Temene added.

"You think he is dead then?" Anders asked.

"There is something very wrong about this place. If he was here alone, I can't imagine he survived for long on his own."

They finished breakfast and secured the camp as best they could. Temene and Anders placed protective wards around the camp to deter any beasts. They headed into the marsh as the sky seemed to darken even more. The air seemed even more oppressive as they continued looking for clues to Kristoff's whereabouts. The wolves that Nathaniel had seen the night before prowled the bleak landscape and slowed their progress.

"Do you feel that?" Temene asked Anders, a familiar sense creeping upon her.

"The Fade you mean?" he asked her. "It feels almost like the Fade. There must be tears in the veil here."

"Something has happened here," Temene looked around nervously.

"If the Fade is anything like this place, I am glad that dwarves never go there," Oghren shook his head. He'd been grasping his axe so tightly, his knuckles were white.

"I don't want to go much further in," Temene remarked. "We've seen the darkspawn corpses, they should lead us to Kristoff. If we can't find him before long, I want to head back to camp."

The uneasiness of the place was starting to get to her and she wanted out immediately. They continued following the trail of dead darkspawn and eventually found a small camp. "This fire is a few days fresh, Kristoff could still be here," Nathaniel said, stooping over the burned bits of wood.

Temene hesitantly peeked her head into the nearby tent and saw Kristoff's body lying inside. It smelled as if he'd only been dead a few days. "We are too late," Temene's face turned ill. She walked away and searched for fresh air to clear her nose.

Anders looked inside and frowned. "Oh," he choked on his words. "I guess we can head back then."

There was a rustle in the bushes on the far side of the camp and a single darkspawn emerged. Nathaniel readied his bow as Oghren swung and missed the darkspawn with his axe. The darkspawn laughed, dodging his blows and held up his hands, showing no weapon in them. "This one is the First. The Mother said that if the Grey Warden was killed, the other would come," he croaked.

"The other? You mean me?" Temene asked.

"Yes, the Mother knows what you are doing and will not be letting you interfere. He will not be getting us," the First replied.

"Who are you talking about? Who is he? Who is the Mother?" Temene wondered.

"The Mother sends a gift. No plans will you make," he said, reaching for a small orb on his belt.

Before Nathaniel could shoot, the orb emanated a paralyzing energy that none of them could fight. Temene felt the familiar pull into the Fade and stopped resisting after a while. She eventually woke up beside Anders and looked around. Nathaniel lie nearby, bow still in hand. Oghren was beside the First, who still clutched the orb. "No, here I am as well, the Mother never," the First sat up angrily.

"What have you done?" Temene asked.

"The Mother meant to send you to the Fade, but she betrays the First. I was not to come," he growled. He cast the orb down, which exploded with energy again. Temene shielded herself and when she turned back, the First had gone.

"The Fade," Oghren cried out. "Dwarves aren't supposed to go to the Fade," he stood up. He swung his axe at the illusions around him.

"I don't know how it is possible, but you need to calm down," Temene looked at his wild eyes.

"Ugh, I hate the Fade," Anders complained. "How do we get out?"

"I've only gone when held by a demon or during my Harrowing. Killing the demon released me, but the orb sent us here. I do not know how to get back," Temene replied.

"What do we do then?" Nathaniel asked.

"We will have to look around. There is no use sitting around here," Temene climbed to her feet. "Oghren, the only thing you need to remember is that nothing you see here is real."

"So you aren't real?" he asked her.

"In a sense, no. I am here, but my body is still in the mortal world."

"I need a sodding drink," he closed his eyes and shook his head.

They walked slowly along the ethereal landscape. The normal Shades and low level demons waited for them, but weren't much of a fight. "Look, the village still stands here," Nathaniel pointed to the near distance.

A large mansion could be seen at the center of the small village, its buildings still intact. "Perhaps we will find some answers in the village," Anders wondered.

They made their way through the ghostly marsh and found some of the villagers still trapped in the Fade. "How were you trapped here?" Temene questioned them. "Has anyone ever left?"

They each told a similar story of how they'd come to be trapped. "The village was once ruled by a cruel Baroness. She used the blood of our children to keep her young. When we tried to stop her, she sent us all here. We've been trapped ever since," a villager replied. "You are the first visitors we have seen since the spirit came to free us."

"Spirit?" Temene asked.

"His name is Justice. He's been trying to help us, but the Baroness' magic is too powerful," another villager replied.

"Could it be a demon toying with them?" Anders asked Temene.

"The Baroness must be a blood mage. Who knows what she could have conjured?" Temene replied. "Can you take me to this spirit?" she asked the villager.

They followed the villager through the small streets that looked as they had been before the Baroness had trapped them in the Fade. The other villagers milled around, nothing to do but mourn their plight. The spirit stood at the gates of the great mansion at the center of the village. He had the ethereal glow of the other spirtis seen in the Fade by Temene and Anders. "He does not look like a demon, but we should be careful," Anders whispered to Temene.

"Justice, some others have come," the villager announced.

"More souls trapped by the Baroness? No, you aren't villagers, I have not seen you here before," Justice turned to them.

"A darkspawn brought us here. We are trying to find a way out," Temene replied.

"What is this darkspawn you speak of? You are from the world of mortals?"

"Yes, we were trapped here. We don't know how to leave," Anders replied.

"The villager said you had come here to help. Would you be able to return us to our bodies? Do you know how to do that?" Temene asked.

"I have come to release these good souls from the grasp of the Baroness. They have been trapped here unjustly. By destroying the Baroness, you may well be freed, but I do not know of such things."

"How can we destroy her? Is she a demon?" Anders asked.

"I do not know what powers she holds, only that this village has been trapped by it. With your support, I think we can defeat her. I cannot guarantee you will be returned to your bodies, but if you aid me, I will search for a way to free you."

"Anything to get out of this place," Oghren said.

"We should help these people. They have been living in this nightmare for years," Nathaniel added.

"It is settled then, lead us on Justice," Temene nodded.


	74. Justice

The spirit Justice prepared them with all that he knew about the Baroness. When they were ready, he rallied what villagers had been trapped. "The witch is beyond these gates," he pointed and burst the gates open with a forceful kick. A woman stood watching them from the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. The First stood at her side and he pointed at the Wardens when they entered.

"These I have told you about," the First said. "Have them you will and return me through the Veil."

"The demon will die first!" Justice yelled.

"What pesky insects has that annoying spirit caught now? It tells me you are Grey Wardens," the Baroness asked coldly.

"I am the Warden Commander. I want you to release these villagers from this place at once," Temene demanded.

"You think you get to make demands of me? This world is of my creation," the Baroness replied.

She quickly conjured wraiths to stop them from coming any closer to the mansion. "Kill them," she turned to the First. He nodded and jumped down to fight as the wraiths filled the air with ash. The spirit was able to handle the wraiths easily, allowing the Wardens to fight the First without interference.

"You didn't tell me they were mages," the Baronness spat angrily at the First, who'd fell gravely wounded. "You want to go back to the world of mortals, fine. But you won't be returning with your life." Her eyes narrowed at the First and a sneer crossed her lips.

She summoned a great energy around her that pulled towards the Wardens. They felt their bodies being hurtled back to the mortal world again. They awoke where they had fallen in the Blackmarsh, the sky even darker than when they had entered. The First lie dead at the edge of camp where they had last seen him. As Temene sat up, she saw something move in the tent where Kristoff's body has been. She held her staff cautiously and watched to see what emerged.

The body of Kristoff crawled out, its face still sallow from death. "What has happened?" Justice's voice spoke from the body.

"By the Maker!" Nathaniel yelled as the ghoul stood up.

"Justice, is that you?" Temene asked, getting to her feet.

"I," he paused, feeling his face. "I've come with you to the mortal world and trapped in the body of this, Grey Warden?" he wondered.

"The Wardens are the order we are in. We hunt darkspawn like the one in the Fade," Temene replied.

"The witch must have done this. I can feel her presence. She is nearby," he added.

"What is she? A demon?" Anders asked.

"And a very powerful one at that if she was able to sunder the Veil. If we do not close the tears and defeat her, all manner of abominations will spill forth."

"Let us not waste time then," Temene insisted.

They followed Justice, who led them towards the first tear that he sensed. He'd been able to enchant their weapons so they could destroy the tears and anything that passed through. When they came upon the first tear, all manner of ilk had begun to spill out. Shades, revenants, and demons stalked the area, pleased to be freed into the mortal world. Justice led the charge, running full speed at the creatures. Oghren followed close behind, more sure of himself now that he was outside the Fade. Temene and Anders remained back with Nathaniel, using their ranged weapons and spells to keep Justice and Oghren from being overwhelmed.

The enchantments did their job and the tear was quickly closed. Justice led them on again, towards the Baroness' presence. They passed and sealed more tears before finding their way back to the center of the ruined village. The Baroness' mansion no longer stood, razed to the ground as a last attempt by the villagers to stop her. The Baroness stood in front of the ash heap, the gates broken and bent. "I never knew I had the power to return to this world," she said, turning around with a smile.

"And I will send you right back demon!" Justice challenged.

"You underestimate how powerful I am in this world. Once I defeat you, I will rule this land."

The Baroness grinned again but her face seemed to twist in an inhuman fashion. The mages and spirit could feel the power of the demon expanding and backed away. The Baroness' twisted expression peeled away as the enormous pride demon showed its true face. Temene remembered the disfigured form of Uldred who she'd fought in the Harrowing Chamber and knew they were in for a fight. She cast an arcane shield around herself, her awareness finding those memories of the arcane warrior. Her physical form all but disappeared and she began to summon a great cone of frost to slow the demon down. "Wait until we slow it," she warned the men who charged towards.

The frost clung to the demon but it did not remain long. Oghren and Justice were able to hack at it a few times before it cast them aside. It tried to summoned creatures to aid it, but Anders was able to paralyze it before many had been conjured. The warriors held the demon back while the mages continued to slow it and protect their comrades. They eventually wore it down and Justice was able to take its head in one swift glance.

The foul blood of the demon soaked the ground that Justice and Oghren knelt in. They were both physically exhausted, while the mages had no mana left to cast with. The spirit shield had drained Temene completely and she stood with her head sunk. "What happens to me now? You appear to have some control of the spirit world," Justice finally asked, limping away from the demon's corpse.

"I cannot say. My abilities are limited to the arcane. I know nothing of spirits besides the one who shared it's knowledge with me. What do you wish to do? Can you be freed from that body?"

"I am by no means immortal. But I feel," he paused. "I do not want to die. I assume this is a human trait?"

"Yes, self preservation is one of the strongest," Nathaniel added. "But you can't just possess this body can you? Won't you decay?"

"The magic that binds me to this body will keep it as it is now, though I do not know how long it will hold." Justice paused for a moment, seeming to recollect something. "The memories inside it are strange."

"Well, we came here for Kristoff. Here he is. In a sense," Anders said.

"We have all benefitted from your help, but most people will not look on you as kindly. Most people deem any possession an abomination, spirit or not," Temene worried.

"I can only imagine the look on Varel's face if we returned with an animated corpse," Nathaniel added.

"I leave the decision up to you Grey Warden," Justice looked at Temene. His eyes were dead inside and his stare made her shudder slightly.

"You say you do not want to die and you obviously have a great fighting skill. You might be able to help avenge the death of this man you inhabit. This Mother figure sent the First to kill him in order to bring me here. I will explain to Varel somehow about your condition and keep the Vigil's staff away from your quarters."

"This seems like a just solution," he nodded. "I will fight those who murdered this Grey Warden."

They trudged out of the marsh and returned to their camp. The wards had held but a damp fog hovered over the camp, chilling the air. They built a great fire and prepared to leave after they had rested. Temene did not want to linger any longer in the haunted landscape. She had terrible nightmares that kept her awake most of the night and woke up feeling unwell.


	75. Afterglow

They returned to the Keep as fast as they could manage. They hid Justice among themselves and found a covered helm to disguise his ghoulish face. Temene asked Anders to show him to one of the out of the way rooms and went to speak with Varel. "Did you manage to find Kristoff?" Varel asked as she entered his study.

"Sort of," Temene sat down. She didn't know how to explain the situation. Those outside the Circle and many inside regarded any possession as an abomination. She didn't want the Chantry or Templars involved, especially with what had happened in Amaranthine. She'd tried to think of something on the road, but nothing had come.

"Kristoff is quite ill and won't be seen much around the Keep. I will care for him, so you won't need to trouble yourself with attending to him," she lied. "I'll be sending him frequently out to scout, so he will be a ghost in this Keep," she choked on her wording.

"As you wish," he nodded. "We have more reports of darkspawn in the area and another caravan from Denerim was attacked. Mistress Woosley will want to speak with you. There are a few matters of high justice that must be settled as well. And Voldrik wanted to speak to you about the basements."

"Is that all?" Temene asked, trying to hide her annoyed tone.

"The armorer that came from Denerim is running out of supplies. Not that we have many more men to outfit but," Varel went on.

"Can it all wait until tomorrow? I am quite weary from our travels," Temene replied.

"Of course Lady Surana," Varel nodded. "I will see to dinner."

She left Varel's study and went to her room. She unpacked her bag and found Alistair's crumpled letter inside. She reread it, her head aching from exhaustion and everything Varel had requested of her. She was angry and scribbled back a few drafts of a response, telling him she didn't think she could keep up the charade and that they needed to rethink their relationship. She left an unfinished fourth draft on her desk in frustration and finally went to dinner. The meal was subpar and she wanted to berate Varel about getting some better meat but she could tell he was making due with what he had.

She could only think to alleviate her frustrations with a long bath, ready for an early night's rest. It was refreshing to wash the filth of the Blackmarsh from her skin and she lingered until her toes wrinkled. She returned to her room and found Anders waiting for her. "Why did you lie to me?" he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Excuse me?" Temene asked, pressing a towel against her wet hair.

"When I stumbled into your tent the other night. You said nothing happened," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing did happen Anders," she replied innocently.

"I remember kissing you. And I think you kissed me."

"What of it?" she turned away from him.

"Temene, let's not play this game. We both look at each other the same way. Why should we fight it anymore? We are not in the Circle anymore. We don't have to be afraid of getting caught."

"It was a mistake, it meant nothing. I have a husband that I love dearly." She threw the towel into her pile of laundry near the door. He'd picked the wrong time to bother her.

"Your husband who is taking another wife."

"How did you?" She turned to the letters on her desk. "You were nosing around in her and found them I assume?"

"I came here to ask you if I could bring some books to Justice. I saw the letters on your desk."

"He is doing that for duty not for, love," Temene paused.

"Is there a difference?" he mocked her slightly.

"Yes, but only someone who has loved would know it," Temene spat back. "What did you do to Namaya to make her lead you into a trap? How many others have you used for your convenience with your flattery and smile? Do you have no thought of others' feelings?"

Anders sprung off the bed and strode towards her. "I told you, she was nothing more than a friend. What feelings I have, are for you Temene and I know you have them too. Love, lust, whatever you want to call them. I see them in your eyes."

"You are wrong. Whatever feelings are there have to be left at that," she turned back towards him.

"Why?" he pleaded with her, grasping her head lightly with his hands. He pulled her closer and kissed her, his fingers falling into her damp hair.

She felt weak as he pulled her closer to him. Each time his tongue passed over hers, her anger slowly ebbed away. He kissed her forcefully, letting his hands slide down her body. They tickled through the light robe she wore and sent sparks to her loins. She felt such dizzying desire, she fell into his arms. He pulled up her robe and pressed his lips against her skin, still hot from the bath.

He led her to the bed and slipped her robe completely off and pressed her down onto the furs. He came out of his clothes effortlessly, liked he'd done it a million times before. He didn't need any instruction like Alistair and only needed the changing sounds of her breath to bring her to pleasure. He was much leaner than Alistair and his weight did not fall as heavy on her. When he had finished she lay curled in the furs, her body swimming with the satisfied sensation of release. She forgot where she was for a moment, all her troubles gone in an instant.

The longer he lingered next to her, however, the larger the knot in her stomach grew. His smell, different than Alistair's, taunted her nostrils. His hand still rested between her legs and his face was nestled into her breast. She couldn't believe what she had just done and lay motionless. Her muscles tightened when he breathed in deeply and moved his face up to hers. "How did you come to join the Wardens? I didn't know they actively recruited mages into the order?"

She didn't want to answer him and closed her eyes, pretending to be exhausted. "It is a long story." The words slipped from her lips with a slight tone of dismissal.

"I never understood why everyone says that? I don't expect a person's life story to be short," he laughed and stroked her thigh. His tickling fingers wrenched her stomach.

"A Warden came to the Circle Tower looking for more mages to join the King's army at Ostagar." She replied curtly and did not want to continue the story.

"You must have been quite impressive to be asked to join." He nestled in closer to her body and made her stomach boil with guilt.

"I'd just been through my Harrowing. I was unprepared for what my life became." The bitterness stuck in her throat and he looked up at her open but narrowed eyes.

"You sound angry, I didn't mean to bring something up that," he paused, not knowing how to continue.

"My friend had fallen in love with one of the Chantry initiates and he formed this grand plan to escape with her after destroying his phylactery and asked me to help him. I refused, but the First Enchanter had also learned of his plans and told me to go along with it. He forced me to help them, if only so they were both caught so he could lord the Chantry's mistakes in front of the templars."

"What happened to them? Where they caught?"

"Things went just as Irving planned them to. Greagoir stood red-faced when he saw two mages and a Chantry initiate emerge from the basement with blood on their heels. Then Jowan opened up his hand and used blood magic to escape, killing one of the templars in the process. Greagoir was furious, accusing me of being a blood mage as well. Duncan took the opportunity to recruit me, knowing Greagoir could do nothing about it."

"Aren't you happier though? Free from the tower and all its rules?"

"The rules are there for a reason," she raised her voice angrily. "Jowan was dumb enough to get caught and weaseled out of death by agreeing to poison the Arl of Redcliffe. He taught the Arl's son such ineffective magic that he summoned a pride demon that nearly destroyed the entire village. Some mages deserve to be locked up or made Tranquil."

She turned away from him and pulled the bedcovers around herself tightly. Anders wanted to apologize for angering her but thought it better to leave. "I should go feed Ser Pounce," he mumbled, climbing out of bed slowly. She said nothing, so he gathered his clothes and hurried out of her room.

Her head pounded from the angry tears that rolled down her cheeks. She was angry at herself, angry at Anders, and angry at Alistair. Alistair spoke so trivially about taking another wife in his letter, while Anders seemed to think all mages should be free to let their magic run rampant. She had given into both them, because she couldn't bear to be alone any longer. Jowan and others had been her friends or lovers, but she had always been prone to loneliness. Alistair had filled that void and without him around and ready to take another woman, Anders took his place.

She finally climbed out of bed and sat shivering naked at her desk, scribbling a letter to Alistair, the ink smeared with tears in places. It was incomprehensible and angry at times, but in her rage and sadness, she did not notice. She folded and stamped it with her Warden's seal and walked it down to the guard's post with a cloak pulled around her body. "Send it to Castle Cousland with your fastest rider," she put the letter in the guard's hand and stormed back to her room to crawl into bed.  
> <p>


	76. Courtly Matters

"By the Old Gods, what did I do to myself last night?" Temene wondered when she woke in the morning. Her head was pounding and her bed smelled of lovemaking. All of Alistair's letters sat half-burned in the fireplace. She lingered in bed trying to reason all that had happened the night, before Varel finally knocked gently at her door.

"Are you well my lady?" he asked from the other side of the door. "The morning grows late."

"I'll be out in a moment." She pressed her fingers against her eyes and bit her lip in frustration. It appeared she'd made a fine mess of everything as a Warden now. She threw on a robe and balled up all of her bedding. "There is washing to be done," she motioned her head to the pile in the room with her head.

"I will send one of the women to tend to it. I took the liberty of planning your day. I know you are just back from the Blackmarsh but things seem to be piling up. I do not wish you to get overburdened." He followed her as she walked to the main hall. Breakfast was cold, but a plate had been saved for her. As she nibbled on cheese, he ran the day over with her. First, there were matters of court to be settled. Following that, she had an appointment with a mysterious visitor who claimed to have information about the threats of violence against her. Mistress Woosley and Voldrik would wait until the end of the day, since they were always available at the Keep.

Temene knew nothing about legal matters but it was her place as Commader to dispense the civil matters of the lands. The first man had stolen goods from the crown and would be hanged unless Temene intervened. "I know King Alistair would not think it just to hang a man for stealing food in times of trouble, though it does not excuse your actions. You will repay your debt to the crown by joining in the army."

"Thank you m'lady," the man bowed.

The next party was brought in as the man was dismissed, a sprightly woman who'd left her post at Vigil's Keep before the attack. "I know you have kindness in your heart my lady, but desertion is a dangerous threat. You cannot be lenient," Varel whispered to her.

"I will hear her first," Temene snapped back at him.

The woman was a life-long local of the arling, her family's farm between the Keep and Amaranthine. She claimed to have asked her superior to be released from her duties because the darkspawn had been threatening her family's farm. Her superior had died in the siege, so there was no evidence to support her claim. Temene knew it was foolish to let a deserter go unpunished, even if for a just cause, but she refused to let the woman hang for it. "Let it be known, that anyone who deserts their post for any other reason than to protect the lands and people of the arling, shall be sent to the gallows without mercy."

The small crowd that had gathered murmured slightly, thinking the woman would go free. "Needless to say," Temene raised her hand to continue, her face stern. "There were others in danger besides your family. There is no room for selfishness in war, your duty is to the entire arling. Anyone who finds themselves playing favorites of its citizens will find themselves imprisoned for a year."

The woman cried softly as she was lead away to the dungeon and the gallery of people began to murmur again in kinder tones. "We still have one more matter to discuss," Varel ordered the crowd to silence.

"Arl Howe promised me lands during the war and I am here to collect," a woman stepped forward. She held a contract in her hand, the bright seal of House Howe emblazoned on it.

"And they are my lands the Arl promised you, because you allowed your own people to starve while he ruled here in gluttony with the traitor Loghain!" A man shouted at her with anger in his eyes.

"This is Lady Packton and Ser Derren. I have seen the contract, it appears, genuine," Varel spoke to Temene.

"You sold out your own people for more land." Ser Derren was clearly enraged and lunged for the woman.

She stepped back and yelled angrily. "Have this man arrested. He attacked me." The crowd quickly took sides and began shouting at each other.

"Enough!" Temene flew from the throne as fast as a hawk. Her voice echoed through the room, silencing everyone. "Are we children here?" she asked angrily as she snatched the contact from Lady Packton's hand. She turned and stomped back to the her seat, looking over the contract. The crowd stood watching her quietly as she read it over. She finally let out a sigh and tossed the letter to Varel. "Unfortunately Ser Derren, Arl Howe was lord of this land when the contract was signed and he could do with it what he wished. No matter how disgusting the means of getting it." Her eyes went to Lady Packton as some in the crowd snickered slightly.

Temene went on before Ser Derren could express his disappointment. "I do not have the maps, but I assume the Blight has left lands who have lost their lords and kin. You will have your choice of them. " She was short with her words and stood again abruptly and turned to Varel. "Have everyone shown out of the hall, I have other business to attend to." As she stepped off the dais, she watched as Lady Packton walked off with a smile. "And Lady Packton, if one person goes hungry on your swelling lands, from mismanagement or drought, you will hang for betrayal of your duties."

Temene didn't stop to see the woman's reaction and walked off towards the room their mysterious guest had been taken to. The man was unassuming, a drab cloak hung up that matched his boring attire. He looked the type that could slip into a crowd and be instantly forgotten. "The Dark Wolf sends his regards." His accent was thick and he spoke lowly.

"Have you learned anything?" Temene asked.

"Well, you might count Lady Packton as an enemy now," he smiled slightly. He'd clearly been in attendance in the throne room and somehow slipped back without her noticing. "But worry not, you've also gained a lot of allies for what you have done today. Most of your concern should be placed on Bann Esmerele."

He stood up and reached for his cloak, preparing to leave. "That's it?" Temene wondered. "Any notion why? When? How many stand with her?"

"I care not why, as to how many, it is a negligible amount. No definite plans have been set in motion yet, but if you pass by Old Stark's Farm, you could eavesdrop on their conversations yourself."

He left without another word and slipped out of the Keep like a ghost. Temene wondered how much Varel had paid for the Dark Wolf's information. She shut the door to the now empty room and went to Ms. Woosley's office. "I have not seen Kristoff, but I heard he has returned," Ms. Woosley asked as Temene sat down. "I have his stipend to give him, the others as well. Though I already know where the dwarf's will go."

"I'll send it to his family. He can make due with his limit of wine and beer here at the Keep."

"Another caravan was attacked and trade has all but stopped between here and Denerim. Those that still trade have to charge outrageous prices because of the guards they have to hire."

"You still believe it is darkspawn?"

"Bandits tend not to destroy what they steal. Little is left after the attacks." Woosley handed Temene the small purses with their stipends.

"How are the Keep's finances?"

"Arl Howe left them in disarray. I am still trying to figure out what we have, but I can stay that it will not be enough. We need to fill the Keep with traders."

"I will do what I can." Temene knew she had said this before, but there was nothing more she could promise.

The Mistress gave her a slight look of disdain. "I will prepare for a trip to the Wending Wood as soon possible," Temene hoped to placate her with that at least.

Mistress Woosley thanked her and saw her out. She took a quick lunch and made her way outside to speak with Master Wade and Voldrik in turn. Master Wade wanted more dragonscale or other fantastic materials to work with, since he'd been repairing splitmail for weeks. Temene didn't promise him anything, but said she would look out for anything interesting. "Why must everyone want something from me?" she asked rhetorically under her breath as she searched at last for Voldrik. She finally found him overseeing the last of the rumble that had collapsed in the basements. The air now seemed warmer but smelled fouler.

"Where is the breeze coming from?" Temene could feel the loose hairs around her face rustling lightly.

"That I what I needed to show you Commander." Voldrik stepped aside from a man carrying one of the last buckets of rubble.

He lead her past the area that had been cleared and down a dark hall that had been lit by torches. The hall opened up suddenly onto a vast pit, where the warm breeze and dank smell emanated. "It is as I suspected. The basements lead right down into the Deep Roads," Voldrik tossed one of the torches down into the pit. "That's where the darkspawn came from."

Temene swore under her breath and lit a ball of light in her hand. She cast it into the pit to illuminate it further. They surveyed the immediate area and it looked troubling. "We will have to station men here at all hours. Is there no way to seal the basement off?"

"Who knows what's down here? It looks like this place has been abandoned for centuries. I'd recommend taking a scouting party down to inspect the area around the Keep."

"I'll send guards down right away and prepare my men for an expedition in the morning."

They returned together to the courtyard and Temene sent Captain Garavel down with some of his best men. The table was just being set for dinner when she returned to the main hall. Anders sat by the fire with Ser Pounce A-Lot and looked over at her when she entered. "There is an entrance to the Deep Roads under the Keep that we need to secure. We will be going down tomorrow to investigate. If we can't get the area secure, we are going to remain vulnerable for more attacks."

"Sodding roads!" Oghren complained. "Just like old times, eh elf."

"We will be leaving for the Wending Wood right after, so keep yourselves rested and away from the ale," she added.

She took a seat at the dining table and let out a quiet sigh. The men spoke among themselves but Temene offered no input. She couldn't imagine what else could go wrong. She ate as much as she could, knowing she would need her energy. She shared Oghren's disdain for the Deep Roads and wasn't looking forward to venturing down into them again. Anders watched the stress growing on her face and followed her back to her room. "I have to pack Anders, I don't want to be bothered," she responded as he held the door before she could shut it.

"I know, but you also need to take a moment to relax. I think that muscle on your neck is about to burst." He smiled and put a gentle hand on her shoulder and massaged it lightly.

"Please don't." She looked at him but didn't move his hand away. Her muscles were tensed and his fingers felt soothing to her.

"I used to do this for my supper when I was on the run." He moved behind her and put both his hands between her shoulders and neck. "Massaging I mean. It was at a whore house but I stayed up front. You'd be amazed how many people came in just looking for a neck rub and a sympathetic ear."

"You honestly think I believe you never did anything special?" Temene tipped her head back with a slight laugh.

"There were some, though most were too shy to ask and I never initiated or made anyone feel uncomfortable. And they were all attractive and clean. I'm not all bad you see."

"I don't believe that." Temene didn't hide the sneer on her lips.

"Would you like anything special this night?" He left a kiss on the back of her neck and left his lips pressed there until she finally answered yes.


	77. Under the Vigil

With Anders staying the night in her bed, Temene had to pack quickly for the journey into the roads under the Keep. She didn't know how long they would be gone but didn't pack much, since most of their supplies would be over their heads. Voldrik volunteered to accompany them, as well as a few of the Keep's guards. The small party of eight climbed down from the basement shortly after breakfast and began to explore the road ahead.

Temene and Anders lit the way ahead with their staves and the other carried torches. The ancient dwarven glow stones had long burnt out in most places, but any extra light gladdened their hearts as they passed. The air was as thick and stifling as Temene remembered. There were only a few darkspawn to deal with, which eased Temene's mind. It wasn't until later in the day that they encountered something truly terrifying.

They'd come into a large room that looked like it has once been a laboratory. A strange apparatus sat in the center. It's purpose had passed but it was now inhabited by a powerful wraith. Both guards and Oghren were slightly injured by its lightning magic and it took both Anders and Temene to paralyze it enough to attack. The wraith eventually fled after being weakened and Temene forced them after it, despite their injuries.

The wraith led them into more darkspawn including a hulking ogre who made the fight even more difficult. The smaller genlocks were easily to kill, but there was no way to flank the ogre and they were forced to press their frontal attack. The ogre finally fell from an axe to the neck, but before they could even catch their breath, the wraith reappeared and took possession of the ogre's body. "By the Maker! We'll never last at this rate." Nathaniel sighed, his quiver nearly empty.

The party had little energy left and it took the last of Temene's mana to summon her arcane shroud. She tossed aside her stave and held Spellweaver aloft, taunting the wraith's puppet. Her vision was less clear as she floated between the mortal world and the Fade but she could see weaknesses in the wraith's form. She ran blindly at it and a few deft slashes of her sword defeated it, sending it back to the Fade where it belonged. She collapsed as her link to the Fade ended and the last of her mana had gone. "Are you alright?" Anders knelt to help her.

"We should camp here for the night," she replied, her words listless.

They found an antechamber nearby that had once been a trading outpost and set the small camp. Voldrik began roasting vegetables over the fire as Anders healed the wounded. He urged Temene to rest and when she woke, she found camp fully set. They ate the warmed vegetables with some cured meat and bread. The largest wine skin was nearly empty by the time it had passed around the camp twice. "This place is truly awful," Anders noted the weariness on everyone's faces.

"Eh, the roads near Orzamar are ten times worse. And we were there during a Blight, right Temene?" Oghren laughed.

"The Roads seem to find a way of making themselves worse each time."

"Yeah, but you just do that weird spirit invisible thing and everything is okay," Oghren laughed and took a long sip of wine.

"For all its power it is taxing. I do not think I could summon a spark right now." She still looked weak after their meal.

Oghren burst in laughter, thinking she had said 'summon a fart' but she was too tired to correct him. "It is a strange talent you have," Justice finally spoke up. He'd remained quiet thus far in the journey. "You are a mortal, yet you have some spiritual ability. I can feel it when you slip so closely into the Fade."

"It is something I still do not fully understand. The ancient elves were much more powerful at spellcasting than I will ever be."

They shared more stories of their adventures around the fire before retiring to their bedrolls. Anders volunteered to take the first watch and Temene lie awake watching him secretly play with Ser Pounce A-Lot. For all her weariness, she couldn't sleep. "Don't you have someone to watch him?" she finally asked.

"You startled me," he smiled at her after jumping slightly. "Ser Pounce can take care of himself. One of those genlocks grabbed ahold of me for a second and he managed to swat him on the nose."

"And the genlock could just have easily grabbed him and throttled him. He is too fine a kitten to let something like that happen to him."

"Did you hear that Ser Pounce, I think she is sweet on you." He lifted up the now lanky kitten and nuzzled his nose. The kitten gave him an annoyed meow, so Anders set him back down. "Shouldn't you be asleep? I don't want to find you snoozing on your watch, no matter how beautiful you look when you sleep."

She rolled her eyes as Ser Pounce came over to see her now that she was awake. He licked at her face before climbing over her neck to play with a loose end of hair that had come loose from her braids. "Why don't you ever wear your hair down, it is so beautiful? You've worn those same braids forever. I recall seeing you reading into the library with your little red buns curled so tightly, the kids used to say, well."

"Yes, I still remember all the rhymes about timid Temene. What was it? Curled so tight I was cross-eyed?" She sat up and untied one of her braids so the kitten could play with her hair.

"I don't remember." He lied, knowing he had made up that rhyme. She wasn't crossed eyed, and he'd secretly found her grey-blue eyes enchanting. "Do you ever miss it? The tower I mean, not the teasing."

"Sometimes. There were kind people and I enjoyed all the books, but I could never live like that again."

"Yet you think their rules are just?" He said this warily, remembering how upset she'd become last time they'd spoken of the tower.

"I may have sounded like a Loyalist the other night, but I do know the system is broken as it stands now. But we can't just tear down the whole institution in one fell swoop. I've seen too many abominations to know that there needs to be order. We need to make small steps to change it. My husba-, King Alistair is sympathetic to improving things. The templar presence is much smaller at Kinloch Hold now. They are letting the older apprentices go back outside now. Those that pass their Harrowing are allowed to have family visit once a year."

"I suppose that is enough for now." He didn't sound like he believed his own words. "If you are not tired, I could use some rest."

"I will take watch," she nodded. "I never sleep well down here."

He stretched out his legs and patted his chest for the kitten to join him. Ser Pounce obeyed and lay with him after a long yawn. Temene looked over the camp that slept and thought of how much things had changed since Orzamar. She travelled with a new party now and most of her former friends were scattered across the world. She was a bit sad that Oghren was the steadiest thing in her life, especially since he was snoring loudly. She wondered if Alistair had already received her letter in Highever and what his reaction was. She almost hoped he would come to the Keep so they could discuss things face to face.

She kept watch until she could no longer stay awake and gently roused Nathaniel. She lay down and was joined by Ser Pounce, who'd been awakened by Anders mumbling in his sleep. From the sound of it, he was having a dream about the darkspawn. Temene still heard the terrible scratching sound when she slept, but she had all but managed to ignore it. "I was having the same dream," Nathaniel said when he noticed her watching Anders.

"It gets worse down here but you will get used to it eventually." She didn't raise her head, closing her eyes instead as the kitten curled up next to her stomach. She slept as best she could, though she felt herself sweating in the humid, sulfurous air. The scratching of the Old Gods irritated her to the point that she woke up yelling "enough." Nathaniel looked at her curiously, stopping his scraping of flint. Oghren had let the fire die on his watch and Nathaniel was trying to get breakfast started. "I'm sorry," she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where is everyone else?" The camp was empty save the two of them and Ser Pounce A-Lot sleeping in Anders' pack.

"Voldrik explored the tunnel a little further down and came back excited about something. Everyone else went with him. I stayed to get breakfast going."

"Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"Anders insisted we let you sleep." He had sparked a new fire that was quickly burning the kindling underneath.

Temene went in the direction Nathaniel had pointed towards and found the rest of her party standing in front of an enormous set of doors. "Can you believe we were sleeping only meters from this thing!" Voldrik marveled.

"What is it?" Temene asked.

"The answer to all your problems. It is a dwarven barrier door. If the poor sods had managed to finish it, we'd still have another thriving dwarven kingdom. It is probably two days work from being finished, but I can have it done in a day."

"Good, I don't want to stay down here any longer than necessary. This will keep the darkspawn out?" She looked up at the massive doors and couldn't imagine anything getting through.

"It will hold them for a while, but these are the same things that dig endlessly looking for dead dragons. We will just need to come down and inspect it every twenty years or so and repairs."

"That is as much reassurance as I need." Temene knew she'd probably be dead in twenty years and that task would fall onto a new Warden Commander. Voldrik set to work on the mechanism and the Wardens returned to the fire for breakfast. Nathaniel already had a porridge boiling when they returned. "We'll be able to return to the Keep tomorrow if Voldrik can get the doors closed. We will leave for the Wending Wood the next day." Temene sat down and dished out a bowl of food.

The men talked of the darkspawn and other trivial matters as they ate and milled around the area. There was nothing to do while Voldrik worked on the mechanism for the gates. Oghren and Nathaniel wandered off to explore the roads a little further down, leaving Anders and Temene to clean up breakfast. "Isn't it strange that you are the only woman in our party, yet you never do any of the cooking?" Anders asked as he scrubbed out the porridge pot.

Temene gave him a dour look and wrapped their wooden bowls back up in their protective cloths. "I was never taught to cook in the Circle Tower, as you never were. If we mages lack anything, it is domestic skills."

"I guess I never thought of it like that." He laughed slightly and wiped the pot clean. "Besides being captives and branded monsters, life in the tower is quite noble at times."

"There are few peasants who get our education. We have hot meals everyday and shelter over our heads. Perhaps we are the lucky ones."

"Yes, but if normal children were given the same, perhaps they would no fear us as much. Ignorance keeps us locked in our gilded cage, and it for all its glamor, it is still a cage."

"But what is the alternative? This has been the way for hundreds of years. People fear change as much as they fear us."

"I don't have an answer. Maybe that is why I will never be someone to decide it. Perhaps it will be up to you. I watched you holding court in the Keep. You seem to know how to make both sides of an argument happy." His hand slid into hers, still damp from the rag he'd scrubbed the pot with.

'But I can't make myself happy,' she thought to herself as she looked at him. She was eager to get back to the Keep to see if a letter had arrived from Alistair. Her feelings for Anders had been deepening, especially when they talked of matters involving mages. Even if they disagreed on some things, she knew Alistair would never understand that part of her life. She also knew that Anders could never love her as much as Alistair did and she didn't know why she still sought his company. He leaned into kiss her before hearing the rest of the party returning to camp.

Anders and Nathaniel prepared lunch and dinner with the supplies they'd brought while Temene assisted Voldrik with some soldering using small flicks of lightning. She never imagined dwarven engineering could be aided by magical abilities but it did the trick. Voldrik tried the gears and the doors slowly crept shut, groaning loudly. "If these damn things had closed a few hundred years ago." Voldrik shook his head. "Now we just have to see to the outside of the Keep. We need better stone for the walls and it won't come cheap."

"And the Keep's finances are at a standstill," Temene walked back to camp with him. "I will send what I can back, but you just might have to get creative."

"There is only so much you can do with bad stone."

Dinner was ready when they returned and they stuffed themselves with the last of their food, save what they would eat for breakfast. "To dwarven engineering," Voldrik toasted the last of the wine. Everyone was well-plied and slept well at camp. Anders played with Temene under her skirts, but she would have nothing more around their companions. She couldn't help but hope Alistair was above them right now, waiting to talk about their relationship.

They returned back to the Keep in the early afternoon and prepared to leave for the Wending Wood in the morning. A man brought a letter for Temene in the late afternoon, but when she took it, she noted it was not the royal seal that closed it. She was disappointed and opened the letter casually, not recognizing the seal. The handwriting was feminine and was signed at the bottom by Elissa Cousland. Temene didn't want to read it but forced her eyes back to the top. It wasn't as bad as expected, the lady replied that Alistair had been called off to the Bannorn. She'd seen the letter passed onto him there. He had also left Cullen with her, as she had a mahbari bitch who was of breeding age. She asked if the two might mate, since she was having a difficult time keeping them apart.

Temene wrote off a quick reply that she did not know Cullen's lineage and it would be up to Elissa to decide if she wanted a brood of war dog puppies. She made no mention of the possible marriage arrangement and gave the letter to one of the guards which no urgency of its arrival. She knew she'd likely have Alistair's letter waiting for her when she returned from the Wending Wood and was anxious to get out of the Keep. Her stomach wrenched as she looked over the woman's fine handwriting. 'I can't bear for Alistair to marry someone else, especially some high born woman who will take him away forever,' her dark thoughts roiled in her mind.  
> <p>


	78. The Wending Wood

The Wardens left at first light, heading towards the Wending Wood. A single oxen carried the weight of their camping gear and supplies. Anders had slipped into Temene's bed in the middle of the night, so they were both tired as they walked along the Pilgrim's Path. The weather was clear for their journey, so they were able to make it to the edge of the woods near dusk. They put down camp and set a watch for bandits or darkspawn.

With the oxen to bear their burdens, they'd brought a good amount of food and feasted well for a camp meal. Nathaniel took charge of the cooking as usual and roasted a haunch of meat over the fire. The smell of burning wood overtook the roasting meat, but no visible fires could be seen in the thick woods. "It would seem our culprits are still out there," Anders sniffed at the air.

"We will see what they have wrought in the morning and follow their trail." Temene sat sharpening Spellweaver on a whetstone. The orge's thick hide had dulled its edges and she hadn't had time to sharpen it before they'd left.

"I will be glad to bring justice against these darkspawn." Justice rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always with some intent or purpose.

"We still do not know for sure if it is darkspawn, though it seems the most likely. Bandits would not destroy the goods they stole. I just, I do not feel their presence as strongly." She'd sensed them when they'd gone into the Deep Road, but here something seemed to cloud her. She was slightly unsettled and leery of entering the forest.

They ate dinner quietly and went to their tents early so they could get another early start. The dead did not need rest, so Justice volunteered to take a long watch for the night. Anders slipped into Temene's tent shortly after she lay down. "Not tonight," she whispered as he lay his body beside hers.

"I left Ser Pounce at the Keep as you asked. I am lonely without him." He managed his best whine through his whispered tone.

"So you hope that I'll scratch your face and curl up on your belly?"

"That wouldn't be so bad." He snatched some of her fur covers for himself and nestled in closer to her.

She let out an angry sigh and turned over to face away from him. She was agitated and was in no mood for his pillow play. He left her alone and she had to admit that his warm body felt good next to hers. The nights have begun to grow colder as winter approached. She only hoped she could deal with the business in the Wood and return to get the Keep back in order before the snows came.

The morning was cold as the sun crept on the horizon, but Justice had maintained the fire and Nathaniel had breakfast ready when Temene emerged from her tent. Anders pulled the tent flap back behind her, much to the snickering of Oghren. Temene cast an angry glare at him that seemed lost on Justice and Nathaniel said nothing. They ate quickly and packed up the oxen as the sun began to warm the air.

A small plume of smoke could be seen from the woods and they headed towards it. The oxen slowed their pace a bit but they found the remnants of a burning caravan just into the woods. Nothing had been taken and all the goods inside sat burning or smoldering. They stopped to put out the fires and salvage what they could of the goods. The ground had frozen overnight, so they took what remained of the corpses and set them aflame along with the remains of the caravan.

As the men set to cremating the dead, Temene looked for any sign of tracks. She could find few besides the men that had been cut down and wondered why there was no evidence of the darkspawn. "The beasts tear through the land, yet there is no sign of their heavy footing," Temene looked up the hill.

"You do not sense the creatures?" Justice asked. He seemed especially upset when finding the dead men. He had no foreknowledge of death, but he liked it nonetheless.

"It is hazy at best. I do not quite understand it. I feel some presence, but it almost feels like it is resisting me knowing it, if that makes any sense."

They left the remains of the caravan and followed the only set of tracks they could find. Something rustled in the bushes and Temene stopped them. "Who goes there?" She held her stave with authority.

"Oh bleed it, another elf, come to kill me!" a man whined from the bushes.

"Come out of there, we mean you no harm. Are you from the caravan?"

"You stay back I say," the man emerged holding a sword, a small dagger at his side as well. He looked too well armed to be with the caravan.

"You are a bandit?" Temene could see clearly that he was. "Did you attack the caravan? Where are the rest of your men?"

"No, we didn't attack it, we just thought we'd come get what was left. That's when that elf woman came upon us. Killed everyone but me."

"Elf woman?" Anders asked.

"Looked a little like her." He pointed his sword at Temene. "Though all knife ears look the same to me. But she had tattoos on her face."

"A Dalish elf?" Temene asked.

"Yeah, that's it. Now you'll be letting me outta here?"

As soon as the man tried to run past them, a root shot from the ground and wrapped around his ankle. "No, help me, she's got me," the man pleaded.

The oxen startled and Nathaniel tried to hold it steady as Temene rose thick columns of flames from her hands. Another tangle of roots gripped at the man's throat and quickly snapped his neck. "Who are you?" An angry voice called to them. A lithe elf jumped down from the trees above, a twisted wooden stave in her hand. "Come to help these men?" She hissed at them. "Leave this place elf and take you men with you. This is your only warning." She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, borne away with the tangle of roots.

"Who and the Maker was that?" Nathaniel asked, finally able to wrangle the oxen.

"A Dalish mage. Either a Keeper or First." Temene wondered if there was a tribe of Dalish in the woods. They would leave few tracks, but she didn't know why they would attack without provocation.

"Did the Dalish do this? I thought they wanted as much distance from humans as possible?" Anders asked.

"I do not know. I have seen their aggression towards those who encroach on their lands, but I do not think they would lay claim to the Pilgrim's Path. We should be careful, lest we run into more of them. They have little sympathy for my kind."

They climbed up the hill in search of a camp, their weapons carefully guarded but not drawn. Temene hoped she could parley with the elves and prevent more violence. The tall banners of the Dalish aravels could be seen on a high ridge and they forced their way up, the oxen becoming more stubborn by the minute. They listened for any sounds or sign of the elves, but as they neared the camp, there was only silence.

The camp was smaller than expected, only a few aravels and crude tents put up. "I have never seen a clan this small," Temene looked around the camp. "Perhaps these were outcasts or lost from their kin during the Blight."

"Here Commander," Nathaniel called. Beside one of the aravels, a cache of weapons lay piled together. "These are human forged blades." He picked up some of the weapons and held them in his hand.

"Stolen from the caravans, perhaps?" Temene wondered. "If these Dalish are ravaging the caravans, where are they all?"

"Perhaps these burial mounds have something to do with it." Anders looked over the hill. Down the slope several graves stood, covered in stones.

"The Dalish usually plant trees over their dead, but if these Dalish have left their kin, perhaps they no longer care for tradition. Everything in this place, seems to out of place."

"There has been death here, I can feel it. I do not like this place at all. Spirits have no understanding of death, but I have ill will to stay here." Justice remained at the edge of the Dalish camp, his posture weary.

"We will move on then. Perhaps we will find answers to this mystery elsewhere. Or find ourselves confronted with the mage again." Temene set down one of the swords she'd picked up and it clattered back onto the pile. 


	79. Who is Using Who?

The Wardens walked back down the ridge towards some of the stone ruins that dotted the land below them. What the place had been once was a mystery, many of the stones fallen down and covered in lichen. "Ancient Tevinter perhaps," Temene ran her hand on the faded stonework. "I've seen ruins like this in forests before." They found little in the ruins but were drawn towards the distinct smell of death. They covered their noses and found a disturbing heap of bodies.

"What did these men due to bring such wrath?" Nathaniel asked.

Temene remembered Zathrian's curse, but could not imagine these men had any better fate. Their bodies had been torn apart long before the birds and wolves had gotten to them. "This looks more like the work of darkspawn." She held her hand over her nose to keep from retching. A voice croaked lightly from beyond the pile. "Help."

"Where are you?" Temene looked around. She could see no movement in the pile of bodies.

"The bushes," the voice croaked again, barely audible.

A man lay half dead in the bushes, his face gaunt and sickly. Temene had seen the same sickness in others. "He is sick with the Taint," she looked the man over. "Where are the darkspawn that attacked you? Did they kill all these men? Are you one of the bandits or the caravan?"

"My men and I, we came looking for the scraps. Heard there were some caravans gone missing. We spilt up once we reached the woods. The 'spawn killed most us the first day and dragged us here, took all our weapons. Those that escaped them the first night saw what they did to the Dalish. Killed 'em and left our blades there."

"Why would they do that?"

"To make them Dalish think we done it. The silver one came back and was all a rage. Killed the rest of my men and left me to die, seeing as I had the Blight. Could you grant me a mercy and end it, I've got no blade to do it myself?"

"Why would the darkspawn be manipulating humans and elves to fight against each other?" Anders knelt and looked the man over. It was clear he was beyond healing.

"Don't understand much of what they do besides killing," the man tried to laugh. He groaned instead and his body wrenched in a spasm. "I can feel it burning inside me."

"It will kill you by the morning, but I will grant you a quick death if you want it." Temene touched the dagger on her belt.

"Better to end it now. I thank you kindly Messare."

Temene set the dagger on his breast and plunged it quickly into his heart, sending a quick spurt of blood flowing down his torn vest. She wiped the tainted blood clean on the grass and put the dagger back in her belt. "This is unheard of, darkspawn pitting people against one another. This mage has fallen for their ploy and done exactly what they want. Something is happening to the darkspawn. They are becoming sentient and cognizant."

"We have to stop her before more people are unjustly slain," Justice knelt at the dead man to bless him.

"If she can be found. Since we have remained, perhaps she will come to us."

They climbed back up the ridge towards the Dalish camp and the elven mage reappeared. "I told you to leave," she shouted down at them.

"You are killing the wrong foes you foolish woman!" Temene called after the elf, but this only seemed to enrage her more. The great roots she had summoned reappeared and two of the trees sprang to life. The trees frightened the oxen and sent it fleeing before Nathaniel could wrangle it. The bare autumn branches of the trees slashed at them, cutting Temene across the cheek before she managed to set it aflame. Justice and Oghren hacked at the roots until they were no more than kindling.

"Your face!" Anders went to her and wiped the blood away with his sleeve. "Here, hold still." He healed her wound with a soft glow from his hand. "It's not too bad. It won't scar."

"Let us end this before more hurt is caused," Justice urged them on.

They found the woman knelt before the graves next to the camp, her mana drained from summoning the sylvans against them. "I have no more fight in me," she sobbed slightly. "You have me beaten. End it quickly so I can die with my people." Temene held Justice back before he could do anything.

"It wasn't the men that attacked this camp."

"Then who was it? I returned camp to find them all dead and my sister gone. The men's weapons were here."

"Why would bandits leave their weapons behind? It was the darkspawn that did this. They wanted you to fight with the humans."

"I don't understand. Why would they do that? Why would they take my sister."

Temene did not want to answer but knew she must. "I do not know why the darkspawn were pitting you against the humans, but they likely mean to turn your sister into a broodmother."  
>"A broodmother?"<p>

"We are Grey Wardens. We hunt the darkspawn. The darkspawn use broodmothers to breed more darkspawn."

"They, they would do such a vile thing to my Seranni? You have to help me find them, you have to stop them." Her voice was now frantic and anxious. She ran to Temene and clapped her hands around her own.

"You must face justice for your crimes. You have killed innocent men," Justice stepped forward.

"No." Temene turned to look at Justice's masked face. "We will wait to find out what is going on before there is any more death. It is growing dark and there is a storm coming." She glanced over at the Eastern sky and saw dark clouds fast approaching. "We will set camp here and began to search for the darkspawn in the morning. We will have to try and find the oxen."

"You are welcome to the camp here. My people have no more use for it. My name is Velanna."

"Nathaniel, you better get supper started before the rain comes," Temene ordered.

"As you say," he bowed his head.

"Oghren and Justice can see to fortifying the camp in case the darkspawn decide to attack at nightfall. Anders and I will look for the oxen."

Everyone set off to their duties and Anders followed Temene back down the ridge. The oxen's flight had spilled some of their supplies, so they followed its trail, picking up things as they went. "I'll say one thing about the Dalish, I admire their fashion sense," Anders joked. Temene had noticed him eyeing Velanna's thread bare robes and ample bosom.

"Then perhaps you can seek out her tent to keep you warm tonight and let me rest," she bent to pick up a few apples that had fallen out.

"You aren't jealous are you?" He laughed slightly and gathered up a bundle of kindling.

"You don't seem to take anything seriously?" She had grown weary of his nonchalant attitude about everything. "Perhaps that is why you hated the tower so much. Spellcraft requires the discipline you sorely lack. You'd be better as a court's fool."

"Now that is quite a hurtful thing to say," he took her gently by the wrist. "I may have hated it, but I didn't take my magical studies for granted. I dozed off in writing classes, but I'm no bumbling fool. Or is that what you like about me so much? Someone you can push around, like that failed templar husband of yours."

She felt the urged to slap him but stayed her hand. "Alistair may not have the sharpest of minds, but he knows there are times to be serious and tactful."

He wanted to say something hurtful but knitted his brows at what to say next. He didn't even know why they were arguing over an off hand comment about a woman's clothes. He said nothing and followed her silently as they followed the oxen's debris trail. The beast had not gone much further, hidden in a thicket of bushes and enjoying a snack of grass. Temene lured him out with a gentle voice and one of the apples cradled in her arm. They packed the beast up again and returned to camp without another word.

They put up tents but Velanna offered the aravels to sleep in, as the rain began to fall on the camp. Temene would be glad to get off the hard ground for at least a night and accepted. Oghren and Nathaniel refused and Justice sat brooding, his righteousness unquenched as Velanna supped with them. Anders said nothing and ate in silence. Justice volunteered to take watch again and stood at the edge of camp with the rain pelting his armor.

Temene took to her aravel and lay down on the soft pillowed mattress stuffed into the back of the land ship. It warmed her wet body but it did not gladden her heart. Anders crept in silently and lay next to her, his face wet from the rain. "I've always wanted to sleep in one of these," he said.  
>She let out a sigh and wanted to chastise him about the two empty vans, but she kept her mouth silent. "I am sorry if I upset you again."<p>

"I don't know what I am doing Anders," she finally let her angry breath escape her. "I love my husband and you can be so infuriating at times. This isn't a game, you know? We aren't in the mage tower, where everyone pretends to have no feelings about this sort of thing."  
>"I know," he said with slight shame. He'd never been delicate in these matters and was at a loss for words once again. He didn't want to hurt her, nor could be give her the comfort of saying he loved her.<p>

They lay next to each other in silence until they drifted off to sleep. Temene thought about how Alistair had once offered for her to take a lover, but her feelings for Anders were growing beyond that. She wanted to be done with Vigil's Keep and return to Denerim with her husband. Better yet, she wanted the life she had before he was king. Traveling the road together, keeping the peace, and gathering allies. She knew those days were past and that she would have to face what her life had become now. 


	80. Locked Away

The morning was rainy once again and Temene woke up to droplets pattering loudly on the roof of the aravel. Anders was still fast asleep next to her, his hand cupping one of her breasts. She slid it off gently and wiggled her way out of the covers, trying not to wake him. He awoke regardless of her care and stretched his arms over his head. "It's raining again," he sighed.

"It is autumn, it is always rainy in autumn. It will soon be winter." She pulled her tunic over her head and began lacing it up.

"Will you wear your hair down today, for me? I love when you wear it down." He stroked a strand gently with his fingers. She ignored him, but didn't tie up her hair. She buckled her cuirass over her tunic and slipped her warm stockings and breeches on. She wrapped her cloak around her and stepped outside to put her boots on. She could hear the crackle of a fire and the rain spitting on the flames and knew someone was already awake.

"Nathaniel, I would like you to remain at camp with Oghren. This hill offers a good view of the valley. If you see any darkspawn, sound a call and shoot any that approach." Temene sat down at the fire and adjusted the hood on her cloak.

"Will you be safe with that woman? She seems unstable." Nathaniel whispered quietly even though Velanna was no where to be seen.

"It will be two mages against one and Justice will be looking to take her head at any time."

Justice stood at the edge of camp near the cairns, looking like a statue of armor. Something about the spirit disturbed Temene, though Anders seemed quite fascinated with him. Anders sat down at the fire with them, his brown cloak pulled too far past his eyes. "What did you make us for breakfast?" Anders asked cheerfully. "Not more porridge I hope."

"Browned bacon and boiled eggs. There are some sweet cakes as well." Nathaniel seemed unamused by Anders speaking to him like a servant. "Perhaps you can take a turn at cooking, though I'd prefer not to eat burned rabbit or whatever you Anders' pass off as food."

Oghren climbed up the hill waving his hand across his nose. "Probably shouldn't go down there for a while. I buried it, but boy did it want to linger."

Temene made a face and was suddenly without an appetite. She left the fire to look over the other side of the hill. More stone ruins could be seen among the trees, some completely covered in moss. Nearly all of the branches had lost their leaves and Temene knew it would be an early winter. She wasn't looking forward to trudging through the snow with her group of vulgar fools. She was eager to rout out the darkspawn however, and led them on after breakfast.

Velanna's clan had passed a large mine on their way through the Wood and she guided them towards that. Any place that led underground was Temene's best guess as to where the darkspawn had gone. The mine entrance was held shut with thick wooden doors and a crumbling tower above. The doors groaned when opened and a stale air lingered out. Part of the tower's ceiling had collapsed, letting a few shafts of light fill the front entrance. A large wooden staircase led down into the loading area and had held up surprisingly well.

They climbed down the creaking staircase and into the area that had once been the unloading area. Baskets and winches still hung in place, but were frayed and rusted. "Someone has been here at least." Temene could see the dust on the ground disturbed in places. Most of the foot traffic led to a large circle that had been carved into the floor. "This is strange." Temene stooped to look at some of the small runes carved into the circle. "This doesn't look like any Tevinter writing I have seen."

She brushed some of the dust away and suddenly felt all of her muscles tightening at once. She couldn't move her head but as she moved her eyes, she saw her companions equally paralyzed. 'It is some sort of trap,' Temene thought to herself, trying to conjure magic to resist the effect. A thin cloud of gas began to arise from the small holes in the circle and she felt herself growing very tired. She fought for as long as she could but eventually collapsed into darkness.

When she woke up again she was cold and weak. She opened her eyes and saw her companions sitting around her. They had been stripped of all their clothes and weapons and wore only dusty rags. Temene's arm ached and she saw a puncture wound in the crease of her elbow. "What happened?" she asked, realizing that they were confined within a cell.

"I don't remember much after we stepped onto that circle. I saw some creature above us on the stairs. It almost looked like an abomination," Anders sat with his back against a wall.

"Because I am dead, I did not sleep, though I was unable to move." Justice stood up and began pacing. "I do not know what manner of creature it was, but I could sense evil in it. A dwarf was with him, though she appeared to be tainted as well."

"It seems we have been led into another trap. This must have something to do with the sentient darkspawn. They have never showed any signs of cunning before." Temene climbed to her feet and touched the metal of the door, wondering if it could be melted with a hot enough flame.

"Don't bother with the door. There are anti-magic wards carved into the floor." Anders stood up and walked towards her. He lowered his voice when he approached her. "They brought you in last. We are all too weak to do anything, but, I don't know what they did to you. The thing you said about the brood mothers, they didn't?" He couldn't bear to say the rest and looked at her sorrowfully. He let his hand rest on the small of her back.

Temene shuddered, but she didn't feel that she had been violated in such a way. "I don't think so." She bit her lip. She didn't want to think about it, the thought made her want to retch. She sat down again and began to wonder what they could do to get out. If any guards came, they could not be killed with magic as they had been in Fort Drakon. She couldn't imagine why the darkspawn had taken them captive instead of killing them. She could only hope three wiry mages and a corpse could overpower their gaolers if they came. She tried her best to conjure magic despite the wards, but it was no use.

They sat in silence for a while until they heard the sound of footsteps. "If it looks like we can overtake them, we must take the opportunity," Temene whispered, crouching behind the door. She sensed the taint, but did not know how many were coming. They were all surprised when only one woman entered the small prison block. Velanna seemed the most surprised of them all and ran towards the cell bars.

"Seranni!" she exclaimed.

As the woman approached the cell, Temene could see why she sensed a darkspawn. Seranni had been transformed into a ghoul and her skin was mottled from the taint. "Step away from her," Temene warned Velanna.

"Seranni, what are you doing here?" Velenna ignored Temene.

"You have to leave now," Seranni said, pulling a key from her apron.

"What do you mean? What happened to you?"

"I can't explain it." Seranni backed away when Velanna grabbed her arm. The key clattered as it hit the floor.

"Wait, come back!" Velanna yelled.

"She has been infected with the taint. There is little we can do." Temene said, bending down to reach the key that had fallen. Her fingers scraped against rock floor, trying to reach it. She had to stretch her arm to the point of pain, but she finally managed to grab the key.

"We have to go after her!" Velanna screamed as Temene tried to put the key in the lock.

"We can't rush out without knowing what is going on. We are four against who knows how many darkspawn. And we have no weapons, no protection," Anders replied as Temene unlocked the door.

"She couldn't have gone far, but Anders is right. We cannot run into the unknown. These darkspawn should have killed us, we need to find out what they were doing here." Temene opened the door and stepped out.

She approached one of the doors carefully and put her ear against it. When she heard nothing, she opened it slowly. It was a small storage room that had once held food for the prison cells. Everything inside had long decayed, but there were a few dull swords stacked on top of the dusty crates. "These are better than nothing," Temene said, handing Justice the other sword.

"I sense something nearby, but it is strange. I don't understand it," Anders looked at Temene.

"These are not normal darkspawn. I don't know what is going on, but something has changed with them. During the Blight I would get a very strong sense when they were near, this time it is clouded by something."

"Well, the sooner we get out of here, the better. Nathaniel and Oghren might come and we don't want them getting trapped like we did."

Temene nodded and checked the door on the opposite side of the small prison. It led to a hallway, where only silence and cobwebs hung. She lit a small fire in her hand and held her rusty sword with the other. The short hallway led to a lab of sorts, though its purpose could not be discerned. They found their way to a cavern where a few darkspawn and ghouls prowled around. They were able to surprise the darkspawn and kill them quickly before any alarm could be sounded. "Ew, this ghoul is wearing my clothes," Anders made a face as he took back possession of his staff. He pried the amethyst band he always wore on his thumb off the body as well. "Why would it be wearing all my things?" Anders wondered, wiping the ring off on his tattered shirt. "I don't want them back now."

"Everything about this place is strange," Temene shook her head. She looked around the cavern and saw that it split off down two hallways. "And I don't know which way to go."

She guessed at a path and led them forward after relieving one of the darkspawn of his sharper blade. It felt awkward without the hum of Spellweaver in her palm, but she carried it with confidence. She heard a small whimper and readied her blade. She was surprised to find a man in Grey Warden armor lying on the ground. "Who are you?" the man asked, fear choking the words in his throat.

"You are a Grey Warden?" Temene asked. "I am the Warden Commander, sent from Denerim. How did you get here?"

"Lady Surana, we had expected you at the Keep. Only the darkspawn attacked first. They dragged me here, crushed my legs. They even took my wedding ring," he sighed, trying desperately to sit up.

"Anders, can you help him?" Temene looked over her shoulder.

Anders knelt down and tried to lift up the man's bloody pant leg, but he cried out in pain. "Please, don't, there is nothing you can do. No healer in the world can mend shattered bone. I don't have a lot of time left, please Commander, promise me you will take my ring to my wife. She lives in Amaranthine. Her name is Nida."

"He's lost a lot of blood," Anders said, feeling the man's pulse. "I fear he is too far gone."

"Please, my lady, do not bother with me. You must get out of here. I heard the other wardens screaming."

"What are they doing here? What do they want with us?" Temene asked.

"I don't know," the man winced as Anders helped him lie back down.

"I will be able to ease your pain some," Anders added, placing his hands on the man's chest. The bright glow from his palms faded slowly and the man closed his eyesand let out a long sigh. "He will die soon," Anders looked at Temene sadly.

"And I plan to find out why he died in this pit," Temene bit her lip in anger


End file.
